DEFENDING champions The Queen’s defeated St Hugh’s 39-32 for a three-way tie in the Senior League of the 2013 ISSA/Digicel Urban Area High Schoolgirls Netball competition at the Leila Robinson Courts yesterday.

As a result of the three-way involving Queen’s, St Hugh’s High and St Catherine High, goal average will determine which two will advance to the semi-finals scheduled to be played tomorrow.

All three schools completed the second round with 12 points each, while losing one game apiece.

According to Joan Walker, who is the co-ordinator of the competition, “We will have to work out the averages between the three teams, goals scored and goals scored against.”

Yesterday’s action between champions Queen’s and the unbeaten St Hugh’s was the feature event of the afternoon and lived up to its top billing.

Queen’s needed to beat St Hugh’s to have a chance of qualifying for the final as St Catherine were the other team in contention.

The defending champions applied the pressure in the first quarter with a 12-7 lead, and kept their opponents at bay to maintain their five-point lead (21-16) at the half-time break.

Third-quarter action was very interesting between the two, but it was the defending champions who ended the final break with a 28-20 scoreline.

With Queen’s needing to score goals quickly, they saw their lead cut to 33-28 as St Hugh’s rallied nicely. The champions held their composure despite St Hugh’s looking likely to gaining on them, but held on strongly to win 39-32.

In other Senior League matches, St Catherine defeated St Jago High 56-16; St Andrew High rushed past Norman Manley 42-24; Camperdown High beat Mona High 34-16; Excelsior High outscored Alpha Academy 36-17.

Meanwhile, in Junior League action, defending champions Queen’s defeated Hydel High 41-20; Norman Manley High beat Gaynstead High 24-16; Camperdown High cruised past Alpha Academy 30-8; St Hugh’s outscored St Catherine 20-14; St Jago High got the better of Meadowbrook High 29-27.