ONLY one side is left with an undefeated record in Bathurst Netball Association's A grade competition this season: Collegians Mystified.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Saturday's grand final rematch between the unbeaten Collegians and Panthers might not have been the prettiest of performances from either team but it was neck-and-neck for much of the day.
Collegians fought back through the middle quarters of the match to claim a 50-44 win in a game which showcased a bit of rust from the school holiday break.
However, with the teams due to meet each other at least two more times this year the best is still to come in this matchup.
The agonising wait for the meeting over the break left both teams determined to come out of the blocks firing, and it was Panthers who gained the early advantage.
Panthers got out to a 14-12 lead at the end of the first quarter but Collegians turned the two point deficit into a two point lead at half-time.
They added a goal to that lead at the next break before going clear towards the end.
Keep up to date with the latest sports news by clicking here.
With plenty of netball to come this year Collegians coach Melissa Noonan used the game as a chance to try out new combinations, which worked in her favour.
"It was rusty, for sure, coming back off the break. There were patches of good play from both sides but at one point we were probably both scoring off each others' centres," she said.
"I was able to get everybody on the court. Different combinations were used to try out different things. Having a four goal turnaround in a quarter is really impressive so I'll have to sit down and have a look at what worked well there.
"What we worked on at training we were able to put into the game, which was great.
"We've got Panthers two more times before finals so I'm sure they'll be working hard to combat what we put out there today."
Bulldogs Verdelho and Panthers Agriwest will be the other two teams looking to book their spot in the decider after earning their places in the A grade finals series.
Verdelho scored a 42-40 win over Mana while Agriwest beat out Scots All Saints College for the remaining position with a thumping 74-25 win.
In the remaining matches Bulldogs Hurricanes beat CSU 42-34 and Panthers Mustangs beat Panthers Toshacks 37-35.