LACEY LOWDOWN

The Zone 1 2016 Secondary Schools National Championships Qualifying Tournament began on the North Shore on Wednesday.

20 Boys teams are competing for seven spots at the National champs and 11 Girls teams for the same number of places.

The Boys teams are divided into four pools of five with the top two from each pool progressing to the quarter-finals and with it a good chance of heading to Palmerston North in October.

Below are the records for each team on day one with most games going to form and seedings. Teams that competed in the Auckland Premier competition this season are marked with *.

BOYS STANDINGS

Pool A

Rangitoto College* 2-0

Kelston Boys* 2-0

Takapuna Grammar 1-1

Macleans College 0-2

Birkenhead College 0-2

Pool B

Westlake Boys* 2-0

Mount Roskill Grammar 0-2

Selwyn College 2-0

Pakuranga College 1-1

Northcote College 0-2

Pool C

Auckland Grammar* 2-0

Massey High 2-0

Kristin School 0-2

Avondale College 0-2

Whangarei Boys 1-1

Pool D

Mt Albert Grammar* 2-0

Rosmini Coll* 2-0

St Peter’s College 1-1

Whangaparaoa College 0-2

Southern Cross 0-2

There were not too many surprises in the Girls competition either although Premier Grade team St Kentigern were beaten 56-53 by Epsom.

GIRLS STANDINGS

Pool A

Rangitoto College* 2-0

St Kentigern College* 1-1

Orewa College* 1-1

Epsom Girls High 1-1

Diocesan Girls 0-2

Pool B

Westlake Girls* 2-0

Auckland Grammar* 2-0

Massey High* 0-2

Mt Albert Grammar* 2-0

Pakuranga College 0-2

Rosehill College 0-2

The Girls have two Pools with the top four in each pool progressing to play-off action.

The finals of the major Girls competitions in Auckland were settled on Thursday at North Shore Events Centre.

In the Premier Grade Auckland Girls Grammar School proved too strong for traditional rivals Mt Albert Grammar School winning 61-52.

A low scoring first quarter ended with Mt Albert marginally ahead 12-11.

Both teams struggled for offensive fluency in the early stages of the second period although three consecutive baskets from MAGS guard Jodeci Joseph trimmed the AGGS advantage (20-18). That advantage had been built around the efforts of Karma Skilton-Roberts and Rionne Papa.

Consecutive threes from the sister pairing of Elianna and Laetitia Tuaiti helped Auckland to a 27-21 half-time lead.

Skilton-Roberts led all scorers with 9 points at the break.

A couple of quick baskets from Trinity Paeu and one from Joseph tied the scores at 27-27 but critically for MAGS Sharne Robati picked up her fourth foul and was forced to the bench.

It took Auckland six minutes to find the hoop in the third but MAGS were unable to capitalise on their opponents scoring drought.

A pair of treys from each team in the final ninety seconds of the period (two from Tyla Tuala for Auckland and one each from Rhyannon Poto and Jade Manase for MAGS) kept the game beautifully poised, 40-36, in favour of the minor premiers with 10 minutes to play.

Another three from Skilton-Roberts plus five points from Papa pushed AGGS out to a 49-38 early in the final period.

Robati and Paeu reduced the deficit to 49-42 with five minutes to play.

Tuala and Elianna Tuaiti pushed the lead out to 53-42 and MAGS required a timeout with just over three minutes to play.

Paeu and Joseph scored after the break but AGGS had little trouble maintaining their lead and recorded a 61-52 victory. The title was claimed on the back of a 14-2 season and it will be interesting to see if AGGS can continue their run of success at the Secondary Schools Nationals Qualifiers next week.

Final Score: Auckland Grammar 61 – Skilton-Roberts 14, Tuala 13, Papa 13, E Tuaiti 10 Mt Albert 52 – Paeu 15, Joseph 13, Robati 11, Poto 7

Under 15 Girls Final:

Following 21 points in the semi-final last week Harmony Rangi-Brown was able to continue her good scoring touch with 23 points to lead Massey High School to a convincing win against Mt Albert Grammar School.

Monica Kelly scored 13 first half points for MAGS but they still found themselves 33-25 in arrears at the break.

Alayna Kamuhemu scored five points for MAGS in the third period but that was all they could muster as Rangi-Brown, Kiara Taimai and Rose Maeli dominated proceedings to give Massey a game winning 47-30 lead at three-quarter time.

Kelly scored six straight points for MAGS in the fourth but Massey’s neat passing game ensured the trophy would be heading west.

Final Score:

Mt Albert Grammar 40 –, Monica Kelly 19, Alayna Kamuhemu 8, Anna Teu 6

Massey High 63 – Harmony Rangi-Brown 21, Rose Maeli 22, Kiara Taimai 8

Under 17 Girls Final:

 Mount Albert turned the tables on Massey High in the Under 17 final with Sharne Pupuke-Robati leading all scorers with 17 points.

Defence was dominating proceedings as MAGS edged to a 20-18 half-time lead.

Pupuke-Robati and Va’ai Moanekah extended the MAGS advantage in the third before seven straight points from Laticia Jost kept Massey’s hopes alive, 30-28 behind with a quarter to play.

The impressive Shauna Povey tied the game at the beginning of the final period but Jade Manase landed a three to restore the MAGS advantage.

Pupuke-Robati and Rikki Fiatau shared ten points as Massey, despite three point successes from Povey and Ramona Fuaivaa, were held at bay in the closing minutes.

Final Score:

Mt Albert Grammar 39 – Sharne Pupuke-Robati 17, Rikki Fiatau 7, Tessa Talo-Tomokino 7

Massey High 35 – Shauna Povey 13, Laticia Jost 8, Ramona Fuaivaa 6

Open Grade Girls Final:

 The North Shore local derby was in the balance at half-time before a dominant third period from Westlake Girls High put paid to the title aspirations of Birkenhead College.

Seven first quarter points from Rashaan Smith helped Birkenhead keep pace with Westlake in the early stages.

Christine Ling landed a three in the second period for Westlake and her eight first half points helped Lake to a narrow 27-23 lead at the break.

Despite baskets from Beth Marshall and Smith it was all Westlake in the third as they piled on 19 points in the period. Kaia Pola, , Jessica Moors, and Emme Shearer each scored a brace of baskets as Lake stretched out to an unassailable 46-27 lead at the end of the quarter.

A low scoring final period ensued with Westlake running out comfortable winners.

Final score:

Westlake Girls 54 – Emme Shearer 13, Jessica Moors 10, Christine Ling 10, Kristin Talma 7

Birkenhead College 32 – Rashaan Smith 14, Beth Marshall 10

Rosmini College staged an exciting fourth quarter fight back to wrestle the Auckland Premier Grade trophy from the grasp of defending champions Rangitoto College at the NSEC on Thursday night.

The game, a great advertisement for college basketball, looked as if it would be going the way of the boys from the Bays when Rangi led 82-76 after Sam Waardenburg scored in traffic with just 2:18 to play.

However, spurred on by the travelling ‘Faithful’, Rosmini mounted a late 12-2 run to squeeze home 88-84 and in the process record a twelfth straight win.

In the early stages Rosmini coach Matt Lacey, deputising for the absent Dave Mackay was forced into an early timeout after his team gave up the first seven points of the game.

Brayden Inger picked up a second foul as Kruz Perrott-Hunt put Rosmini on the board but it was a minor inconvenience as Rangi forged a 9-2 lead.

Rozza made some headway although an emphatic dunk from Dan Fotu put paid to that.

Another dunk, this time from Waardenburg stymied another Rozza run but there was little in it at quarter time, 23-20 Rangitoto ahead.

The lead changed hands on a number of occasions in the second stanza as opposition guards Fotu (11 points in the half) and Perrott-Hunt (10 points) demonstrated their scoring prowess.

Harry Payne helped Rangitoto close the half with a 7-2 run to lead 42-38 at the interval.

A Brayden Inger three took Rangitoto to a 51-45 lead necessitating a Rosmini timeout midway through the third.

Perrott-Hunt landed a three in reply but a Waardenburg back door play and a Cam Stone baseline jumper kept the defending champs ahead.

Rosmini guards Ben Turpin and Taine Wattie exchanged triples with Fotu and Inger withRangi still ahead at three-quarter time 68-60.

Zack Te-Puni broke a 6-0 Rozza start to the last quarter but Will Heather reduced the Rangi lead to two points 70-68.

Cam Stone landed a triple, Mitch Dance replied in kind only for Fotu to knock down a banked version of the same.

Payne caressed a floater home it was 80-74 and Rosmini needed a timeout with 3:25 to play.

Wattie nailed a jumper on the resumption and although Waardenburg made that tough basket in traffic the Rosmini comeback was activated.

Two neat Heather hook shots either side of a Marvin Williams-Dunn And 1 play propelled Rosmini into an 83-82 lead with little over a minute to play.

Rangi committed a 24 seconds violation on their next possession, Perrott-Hunt capitalised on the error with a left-handed drive 85-82.

Fotu scored inside to claw the Rozza lead back to one but Williams-Dunn calmly converted a pair of free throws with 21 seconds to play to give his team a three point buffer which Rangi were unable to dent.

Perrott-Hunt iced the game from the charity stripe and the final buzzer, that sounded a few seconds later, was a signal for a court invasion as a couple of hundred young Rosmini supporters swarmed onto the NSEC playing area to embrace their victorious team.

Both sets of supporters are to be commended for a creating a fitting Grand Final atmosphere.

Final Score: Rosmini 88– Perrott-Hunt 18/8, Heather 14, Wattie 14, Jenkins 11/7, Dance 9, Curran 7/9

Rangitoto 84 –Waardenburg 26/15, Fotu 19, Inger 10/7, Harry Clarke 9, Stone 7

Under 15 Boys Final

 Marshall Cairns-Hita got Westlake Boys High School off to a good start against St Peter’s College although Antonio Luetich helped peg things back with St Kent’s trailing narrowly, 26-23 at half-time.

Isaiah Franklin and Phoenix Leupolu were active for St Peter’s in the third but with forward Campbell Atkinson scoring inside and the guards sharing the workload Lake kept their noses in front 41-36 at the three-quarter mark.

Leupolu really went to work in the final quarter scoring nine points to help close the margin. Max Dallow cut the deficit to 51-49 and Franklin set up a one point game, 53-52 when he landed a free throw with a minute to play.

However Westlake held their nerve down the stretch with Matt Malingin, Atkinsion and Cairns-Hita making important plays.

Final Score:

St Peter’s College 52 – Phoenix Leupolu 17, Antonio Luetich 15, Isiah Franklin 12

Westlake 55 – Marshall Cairns-Hita 20, Campbell Atkinson 16, Matt Malingin 9

Under 17 Boys Final

 A powerful display by Kale Lawson, who scored 25 points and secured countless rebounds, proved to be the major difference between the two teams as Kelston Boys High School overcame Rosmini College in the Boys Under 17 Final.

Marvin Williams-Dunn opened proceedings with a brace of threes for Rosmini after which the speedsters Reimar Cruz for Rosmini and Matangi Prescott for Kelston delivered some eye catching moments as Rozza forged a 29-25 half-time advantage.

Thomas Morgan and Cian Emery connected with triples for Rozza in the third but they didn’t offer a great deal more on the scoring front as Sam Brooking, Prescott and Lawson took Kelston to a 42-40 three-quarter time lead.

Ryan Stanyer and Brooking increased the Kelston advantage before Terence Abdon landed a three to make it 50-47. It became even tighter when Cruz made a difficult shot look comfortable – 54-53 in favour of Kelston with 54 seconds to play.

Kelston had been forced to work hard to gain the lead and they were in no mood to relinquish the advantage scoring the final points of the game courtesy of Terepo King-Masters and fittingly, their captain, Kale Lawson.

 Final Score:

Rosmini College 53 – Marvin Williams-Dunn 13, Reimar Cruz 10, Terence Abdon 10, Tyler Martin 7

Kelston Boys 58 – Kale Lawson 25, Matangi Prescott 12, Sam Brooking 7, Terepo King-Masters 6,

Open Grade Boys Final:

 A tight, nervous opening half finished with St Peter’s ahead 21-17 thanks largely to 8 points from Christian Fromont.

Fromont landed a triple early in the third but Manurewa High School prospered to the tune of 15 points in the third as Sakiasi Faaui Tavita, Alan Alani-Taiao and Siaosi Siafa made plays to give Manurewa a 32-29 three-quarter time lead.

Back to back threes from Gerard Boersen gave St Peter’s fresh impetus and along with an improved defensive effort they regained the lead, 37-32.

Espinosa Toffer extended the advantage further, as did Finlay Morris, as St Peter’s controlled the final quarter to record a hard fought but deserved win.

 Final Score:

Manurewa High 37 –Sakiasi Faaui Tavita 12, Alan Alani-Taiao 10, Pafe Momoisea 6

St Peter’s College 43– Gerard Boersen 13, Christian Fromont 11, Finlay Morris 10

 Letoa 29 points v Rosmini 

The final of the Boys Premier Grade competition in Auckland will be an all North shore affair after both Rangitoto College and Rosmini College came through tough examinations.

The two semi-finals came after three other grades had completed their games on a busy night of basketball action at the NSEC on Friday. The Greater Auckland Under 15, Under 17 and Open Grade competitions preceded the Prem games – see results at foot of story.

In the first Premier semi-final Rangitoto College, were forced to fend off a fast finishing Auckland Grammar School winning 77-72.

Rangitoto made light of having just six players on the night breezing to a 26-10 opening quarter lead with Sam Waardenburg and Kaycee Anibueze sharing 20 of the points on offer.

Grammar made a much better fist of it in the second period and with seven players making scoring contributions in the period the Rangitoto advantage was kept in check, 42-31 at half-time.

Grammar continued their improved showing in the third as Taki Fahrensohn and Elijah Andrews found their scoring touch and it was just 58-54 in favour of Rangi at three-quarter time.

Baskets from Hyrum Shin, Brayden Inger and Logan McIntosh stretched the Rangitoto lead to what appeared to be an unassailable 69-56 advantage with time the enemy of Grammar.

However Samson Aruwa and Andrews prompted a Grammar revival and when Conor Flanagan finished in transition with an emphatic dunk it was just 69-67 to Rangi with three minutes to play.

Guards Logan McIntosh and Shin scored four quick points for Rangi before Flanagan scored again; 71-69.

A Sam Waardenburg basket eased the Rangi nerves and although Tom Whyte landed a three for Grammar Inger was able to secure the win for the defending champions from the foul line.

Final Score: Rangitoto 77 – Waardenburg 28, Anibueze 19, McIntosh 12, Inger 10 AGS 72 – Fahrensohn 18, Andrews 17, Whyte 13, Aruwa 10

Despite a combined 57 points from Isaac Letoa and James Moors Westlake Boys High School were beaten 81-78 by Rosmini College in the second semi-final.

Both sets of supporters were in good voice as Letoa claimed 5 quick points to give his team a 20-12 opening quarter lead.

A Moors drive extended the Westlake advantage to ten points and with Rozza struggling to locate the basket coach Dave Mackay called a timeout.A Luke Day baseline jumper increased the lead, Moors inflicted further damage with a trey and with pressure defence stifling the Rosmini attack Westlake were in control.

Peter Jenkins and Will Heather scored a couple of baskets for Rozza and it was Phil Campbell’s turn to call a timeout.

A steal and points from Letoa and a banked left handed finger roll layup from Greg Vukets kept Lake ahead 37-23 but their good work was partially undone as extended Rosmini defensive pressure provided a 6-0 spurt in the last 30 seconds of the half.

Westlake captain Letoa registered an impressive 18 points in the opening half – his team ahead 37-29.

Rosmini carried the late first half momentum into the opening stages of the third stanza. A Taine Wattie triple dragged Rosmini to within three followed by a Marvin Williams-Dunne replica effort that tied the scores.

Letoa steadied the Westlake ship with a brace of baskets – scores tied 41 apiece midway through the third.

The teams went basket for basket before Kruz Perrott-Hunt created a steal and assist for Wattie giving Rosmini the lead for the first time since the opening minute of the game. Another Wattie basket (a three) gave Rosmini a 55-52 lead at the three-quarter mark.

Nathan Curran gave Rosmini a two possession lead for the first time and then Mitchell Dance brought ‘The Faithfull’ to life once more. With the Rosmini lead extended to 65-58 Lake needed a timeout.

The ploy worked a treat with Moors making a basket and a pair of free throws.

Wattie came up with yet another offensive rebound and score but that man Letoa kept his team in the game; 67-64 with four minutes to play.

Free throws on three consecutive Rozza offences extended their lead to 72-64 with 3:30 to play.

A pulsating finish ensued.

Reuben Fitzgerald made a three (74-69) and although Curran scored in the paint under intense defensive pressure Moors inspired a Westlake comeback with a right handed hook shot trailed by a long three

Rosmini still led 76-74 with 68 seconds to play but needed a timeout.

Their possession on the subsequent play came to nothing and when Fitzgerald was fouled he stroked home a pair of freebies to tie the scores with 36 seconds to play only for Wattie to nail a triple with 17 seconds remaining.

Moors was then fouled in attempting a triple and he sunk two of three free throws to make it a one point ball game.

Curran sank both free throws after being fouled and although Lake had the final possession they were unable to force the game into overtime.

The game was a terrific advert for school basketball with both teams receiving excellent, vociferous support from their respective followers.

Final score: Rosmini 81 – Wattie 18, Dance 15, Curran 10, Hylton 8, Jenkins 8 Westlake 78 – Letoa 29, Moors 28, Telfer 7, Fitzgerald 7

Under 15 Boys semi-finals:

St Peter’s College 46 – Antonio Luetich 18, Samuel Glover 7

Sacred Heart College 26 – Max Burggraf 12

Westlake 63 – Campbell Atkinson 17, Marshall Cairns-Hita 16, Zane Chang 10

Massey High 47 – RonanLethbridge 14, Ben Lethbridge 9, Nathan Costales 9

Under 17 Boys semi-finals:

Rosmini College 52 – Marvin Williams-Dunn 25, Reimar Cruz 8

Westlake Boys 51 – Taylor Yang 15, Mark Wellacott 12, Patrick Morada 7

Avondale College 55 – Jaga Mete 23, Aman Donaldson 10, Caleb Finau 8

Kelston Boys 66 – Kale Lawson 18, Terepo King-Masters 17, Shaun Falefa 13

Open Grade Boys semi-finals:

St Kentigern College 52 – Max Shorter 18, Spencer Johnstone 13, Joel Vianga 10 Manurewa High 53 – Pafe Momoisea 22, Sakiasi Faaui Tavita 18

Selwyn College 35 – Miles Pinono 18

St Peter’s College 50 – Rontel Russo 10, Gerard Boersen 10, D’Angelo Niupopo 9

The finals of all four competitions will be held at NSEC on Thursday August 25th.