University Albion defender Lose Fainga’anuku inspired her side to fight until the final whistle, and she came up with three game-winning intercepts in the final quarter.
The first quarter went the way of the schoolgirls as University Albion took a while to settle.
Goal attack Lucy Morrison rose to the challenge and created space in the circle by using fakes and rolling the top of the circle.
Up against some experienced University Albion defenders in Fainga’anuku and Laura Balmer, she showed composure and maturity beyond her age.
Columba edged out to a five-goal lead in the opening minutes of the game; they were patient with the ball and passed with finesse.
There was a big crowd present, the majority of which was cheering for the school side, which helped Columba push on and finish the quarter 13-6.
After several untidy passes from University Albion, Columba were able to push their lead out to nine goals.
Goal shoot Brenna Lyons was reliable under the hoop for Columba, as she has been all season.
She held her space and timed her jump perfectly when taking the ball in the air over her taller defenders. She scored an impressive 26 goals out of her side's total of 36.
At halftime, Columba led 24-15.
University Albion, however, did not give up.
They made changes going into the second half that gave them the push they needed, while Columba fielded an unchanged lineup.
Best off the bench was goal defence Laura Axcell, who tracked Morrison closely and made it hard for her to enter the circle.
With the changes rattling Columba, University Albion clawed their way back the deficit to four goals.
Emilie Nicholson and Holly McRae worked hard on defence for Columba, and both were a key part of their side’s lead in the first half, but the school side needed to be tidier on attack in order to capitalise on their efforts.
University Albion goal attack Grace Southby stepped up in the final quarter, shooting under pressure and being safe with the ball. As Columba made some errors, University took their their first lead of the game with three minutes to go. Fainga’anuku came up with a crucial tip, followed by an intercept to solidify their hard-fought win.
In the other finals, College A had a narrow 59-57 win after double overtime over Physed A in the third-place playoff. Physed B had a convincing 67-38 win over St Hilda’s A in the fifth playoff, and Southern Magpies beat College B 57-35 in the game for seventh.
— Madaleine Mansfield
