Grenada’s full joy comes in the night under a half-moon

ST GEORGE'S: Grenada saved its best for last -- and in terms of the ECCB Netball Series, for too late - but still their joy came in the night under the glow of a half-moon.

As they eked out a one-goal win over St. Vincent and the Grenadines 64 -63, their play was clearer, as the threatening gloom of the early evening gave way to allow a fitting finale to a tournament that had its starts and stops, compliments of the rainy season.

Grenada looked like a different team from the one that had slumped to a depressing and disappointing loss the night before at the hands of lower-ranked St Lucia.

For most of the tournament, the home team looked a step behind; they huffed and puffed against Barbados but did not blow the house down; and then, a Lavalas of indecision and tentative defense had them washed away by an improving Cayman Islands.

Saturday night was as bad as it could have been, with St Lucia defeating them 50-48 – a scoreline that flattered to deceive, given how disappointingly the home team played.

The result of that night threatened to turn what was set up to be, from the outset, a marquee clash against St Vincent and the Grenadines into an anti-climactic nightmare.

It was, however, anything but.

What the crowd was served in the end was the best game of the tournament.

Each time Lottysha Cato (56 goals), suddenly looking like a born-again attacker, aimed for the net, the bench shouted – just one shot.

An aggressive Grenada came out of the blocks flying – and by the end of the night, they got the one win, which, if it did not come, could have well led to a Tanteen summer of recriminations.

Grenada led by six points after the first quarter (17-11), but St Vincent and the Grenadines steadied themselves in the second, to whittle down the deficit as Grenada led by one.

St Vincent and the Grenadines had its best quarter in the fourth, scoring 20 in a 100 percent shooting masterclass under pressure, to Grenada’s 12.

For some period, it looked like Grenadian hearts would be broken again – but they held on – using their last center-pass to play around for time, until the seconds ran out – and then the final whistle became the moment.

St Vincent and the Grenadines were overall OECS Champions – winning on goal difference, or perhaps more accurately, on the goal attack of Mary-Ann Frederick, the tournament’s top scorer and overall MVP.

Her 92 percent overall shooting in the nine days was the best by a long shot.

Grenada placed second, leading to rue what might have been, if they had a Saturday night close to the one they had on Sunday.

But the joy of the night was strong enough to last until morning.