SVG get pushed in defence of OECS Under-23 netball title

St Vincent and the Grenadines will have to maximize their scoring chances against their opponents in their remaining matches of the 2014 Eastern Caribbean Central Bank/ Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Under-23 Netball Tournament.{{more}}

This after the Vincentians were forced to rally back from first and second quarter deficits against Grenada last Sunday night at the Vigie multiplex in St Lucia.

Grenada led 12-8 and 22-21 at the halfway mark. But St Vincent and the Grenadines clawed back to end the third quarter 32-32 and things were all squared at 47-47 when the final whistle was blown.

The Vincentians, however, benefitted from the Grenadian shooters’ inaccuracy.

Grenada missed 18 shots, as opposed to St Vincent and the Grenadines’ 10.

For St Vincent and the Grenadines, Mary Ann Fredrick had 38 from 46 attempts; Tamara Baptiste had 2 from 3 and Shanice Daniel 7 from 8.

Renisha Stafford scored 23 of her 33 attempts and Cecile Roberts registered 24 from 32 for the Grenadians.

St Vincent and the Grenadines, in their first match on Saturday, easily disposed of Antigua and Barbuda, leading in all quarters: 13-5, 26-9, 37-15 and finally triumphing, 55-19.

That match saw Mary Ann Fredrick scoring 41 of her 71 tries, while Tamara Baptiste scored 2 of her 6 and Shanice Daniel 2 from 4.

In other results, after two days of competition, Grenada outstripped Montserrat 81-21 and Dominica 46-39, while St Lucia outscored Dominica, 39-31 and St Kitts beat Antigua and Barbuda, 40-19.

Also, Dominica overcame Montserrat, 64-17 and St Lucia recorded a 57 -19 win over Antigua and Barbuda and got past S Kitts, 36-32.

Up to press time, St Vincent and the Grenadines still had Dominica, St Kitts, Montserrat and St Lucia remaining on their agenda, as they seek retention of the title, with goal differential looming large as the determining factor.

The tournament ends tomorrow July 2, with St Vincent and the Grenadines chasing a fifteenth lien on the tournament, which dates back to 1991.(RT)