By Holly Slattery
The Bull Sharks have lessons to learn after registering two losses against the USQ Jets and the Cougars at Nissan Arena over the weekend.
A strong first quarter against the Jets on Saturday was followed by regrettable ball placement and a few poor passes which contributed to the 21-point defeat.
With key goalkeeper Kalei Brighton out of action at the last minute, head coach Kim Boland was tasked with recruiting someone of equal strength to guard the goal circle.
That’s when Darling Downs Panthers’ player Jess Cerezo got the call up to hold down Bond’s defence.
“She just came out and played bloody amazingly,” captain Allanah Penny said.
“It was her first debut in the Ruby Series and she absolutely killed it.
“We were very lucky to have her.”
The Bull Sharks had less than 24 hours to rest and recuperate before coming up against the Cougars who prevailed by just six points on Sunday.
The Bond side brought high energy to the court in the first quarter which earned them a six-point buffer going into the second quarter, but the Cougars were on the chase.
They quickly narrowed the margin to two points by half-time before they charged ahead to claim the six-point victory.
Penny, who was awarded Player’s Player for managing an outstanding four intercepts and six tips in defense, said the score was not a reflection of the young team’s efforts.
“I’ve done a lot of work with Kim in my body positioning and intercepts, which I was able to put into practice today,” she said.
“The Cougars found it really hard to get it straight into the goal circle so I think collectively we had one of our best games of the season so far.
“We’re really starting to trust in each other to do our own jobs on the court and trust that we can put the ball to where the girls are running.
“For me that’s been the biggest thing over such a short season is just all the girls getting behind each other and just believing in one another while keeping a positive attitude.” Penny said.
The losses place Bond University ninth on the Ruby Series ladder with just two games left to prove their potential.
An eight-point victory over QUT earlier in the season had given the Bull Sharks confidence in adding a third win to their tally, but it will be a different challenge against the Titans who are ranked third on the ladder.
The Bull Sharks are looking forward to their final opportunities to showcase their skills and love for the game.
“We’ll just be trying to put into play the things we’ve learned this year and just have a little bit of fun as well,” Penny said.
“It’s been such a quick, intense season so just finishing off the games with some enjoyment and good team spirit will be really good for us.”