THE UNDER 18 National Championships continued into a third day of action on Tuesday, and in the girls competition, one side maintained its unbeaten record to stay atop the standings.

New South Wales Metro came into the day having not been bested over the first couple of days of play, but came up against a Queensland South side that was eager to get a second win on the board before it slipped down the ladder.

It was a grind of a match, but NSW Metro managed to edge ahead on the scoreboard to claim a 76-67 win on Court 1 of South Pine, where the tournament is currently being held up in Brisbane.

The result sees the victors remain at the top of the table with a record of three wins and zero losses. NSW Metro has been the standout side of the girls competition so far, and look like the team to beat. On the other hand, Queensland South has dropped to a record of 1-2, and will be keen to turn things around as soon as possible.

Queensland Metro (67) def. by NSW Metro (76)

It may not have been a pretty effort, but NSW Metro managed to put its nose in front as the match went on and held on in the final quarter to claim a nine-point victory.

The start of the match saw neither side able to gain scoreboard ascendancy, with both teams forcing countless turnovers with hounding coverage on the defensive end. At the first change, NSW Metro led by three points, with both sides finally getting their offence going in the final few minutes of the period.

NSW Metro began to break away a bit in the second term, playing patient offence and getting the ball inside for some good looks. It also did not sacrifice any effort on the defensive end, continuing to force the opposition into poor passes which were picked off in the process. The lead got out to as much as 15 points, which was what Queensland South trailed by at the main break.

The momentum continued to swing in NSW Metro’s favour in the third term, as its lead edged towards 20 points, with Queensland South still struggling to get the job done on the scoring front. The opposition was chipping away on the offensive end, and things looked dire, but things shifted towards the last few minutes of the term. Queensland South managed to not only slow down NSW Metro’s scoring, but also hit some shots itself, and in turn staying within striking distance.

However, the comeback did not come to fruition, with NSW Metro holding on in a tense final term to emerge winners to the tune of nine points.

Emille Bessell was the pick of the bunch for the winning side, leading on the offensive end thanks to an accurate shooting performance, where she nailed seven of her nine attempts on her way to a game-high 17 points. Also catching the eye was Sienna Tutani, who poured in a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds.