For the third time this year UP-Tuks has lost out on a spot in a Varsity Sports final, from the hockey ladies to the football lads and most recently the netball team.
It has been a rather tough year for Tuks Sport having only Varsity Cricket and a joint Varsity Athletics title to rave about as opposed to Athletics, Football men and Football ladies last year.
It was a bitter taste that was left in the mouths of the Tuks ladies as they fell 55–50 to the Maties brigade.
It took a while for the team to connect the dots and get fluidity on court. Maties fought tooth and nail from the first to the last whistle. Tuks held on quite well in the first half, as it ended 25–21.
The ladies from Stellenbosch were not keen on having a repeat of last season or the pool stage game. In the third quarter, they made their presence known when they led the home side by about 10 goals for most of it.
The Maties Powerplay was at the end of the third quarter which is when the Tuks team showed true presence in this encounter. This hope was carried through to the fourth quarter where the Tuks ladies showed great finesse and form as they closed the gap on the visiting side.
Unfortunately, this was short-lived when the final whistle blew and they were still five points behind.
It was a great journey for the Stripe generation, from downfalls and injuries to jubilation and celebration.
By Lifalethu Khumalo
