GOLD COAST, Australia, CMC – Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls crushed Caribbean neighbours Barbados, to win their fourth straight game in Pool A of the Commonwealth Games here yesterday.
Playing at the Gold Coast Conventre and Exhibition Centre, the powerhouses stamped their authority on the contest from early to come away with a 76-32 victory.
While the result kept the Sunshine Girls unbeaten in the competition, it represented the second defeat for the Barbadians, who suffered a similar hammering in their opening game to hosts and world champions Australia.
Jamaica were spearheaded by goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Reid who scored 32 from 36 attempts while Romelda Aiken shot 28 from 33, in her time also at goal shooter.
Goal attack Shanice Beckford supported with 12 goals from 14 attempts.
Barbados were never given the chance to get going and goal shooter Latonia Blackman was limited to 17 from 19 attempts.
Jamaica wasted little in charging to a 22-9 lead at the first quarter, an advantage which they converted into a 39-15 half-time lead to put the contest virtually out of sight.
It was more of the same in the third quarter as the Jamaicans outscored Barbados 18-7 to lead 57-22 at the start of the final stanza, and they pressed home their advantage down the stretch to close out strongly.
Jamaica’s biggest test will come tomorrow when they clash with the Aussies in their final outing of the preliminaries.
Barbados, meanwhile, take on Northern Ireland today before wrapping up their preliminary campaign against South Africa tomorrow.