The Fiji Pearls went down 54-68 to Tonga in a hard-fought match in the PacificAus Sports Series in Australia.
It was a very slow start for both sides as Fiji made a few errors leaving them trailing 11-18 behind Tonga in the first quarter.
Tonga worked hard in the early minutes wanting to leave a huge gap in the scores with quick balls on the attack.
Although Fiji was slow off the mark in the first couple of minutes, they made many opportunities with the ball as goal shooter Unaisi Rauluni failed to miss a hoop.
Fiji doubled its points at half-time but it was not enough as Tonga remained in a strong lead.
Great athleticism showed by Tonga put them 36-22 ahead of Fiji.
Fiji needed to catch up in the second half but Tonga’s defense was strong with a lot of steals in the center court.
Tonga extended its lead 52-35 in the third quarter.
The final quarter was one that kept fans at the edge of their seats as the two teams raced for victory.
Fiji did a lot of catching up but it was too late as Tonga had made the difference in the first three quarters to win the match.
Photo screenshot Tonga Netball