XLCR keep rolling in urban netball competition
IT WAS another good win for defending senior champions Excelsior as the Christopher Smart-coached team defeated St Catherine High 48-38 to pick up their fourth consecutive win as the penultimate set of matches in the second round of the ISSA Urban Schoolgirl Netball Competition came to an end at the St Andrew High School yesterday.
Yesterday’s encounter, which saw two unbeaten teams coming together in Group One, confirmed the champions’ strength as they led 16-11 after the first quarter before extending their lead to 27-18 after the second stanza.
Despite missing several easy shots, St Catherine rallied in the third quarter as they outscored their opponent 12-9, cutting Excelsior’s advantage to 36-30 going into the final quarter.
The defending champions would, however, showed their class in the final stanza to win comfortably in the end.
“The girls were playing under instructions as I told them to take it easy because the condition was very hot,” said Smart.
Both teams are assured of advancing to the semi-finals slated for next week Thursday even though there is one set of matches still to be played in the round on Monday.
In other Group One matches played yesterday, former champions Camperdown returned to winning ways after dismissing Holy Trinity 26-15, while Ardenne squeezed out a narrow one point win over Tivoli, winning 36-35.
In Group Two, last year’s beaten finalist Gaynstead also made it four wins from four games with another comprehensive victory,
getting by Campion 59-17.
QUEEN’S GET POINTS
Former champions, The Queen’s School got the points in their game as Immaculate failed to show, while St Andrew Technical stopped Norman Manley 30-21 in the other game.
In Junior action, defending champions Gaynstead and St Catherine High remained unbeaten after picking up their fourth straight wins in their respective groups. In Group Two, Gaynstead outclassed Excelsior 35-16, while in Group One, St Catherine got by St Hugh’s 30-25 to hand them their first defeat.
In other results, Holy Childhood defeated Mona 29-15, Camperdown stopped José Marti 27-11, The Queen’s School blew away Papine 37-1, and Norman Manley dismissed Merl Grove 24-12.
The final set of matches in the round will be played at the Leila Robinson Courts next Monday.