LACEY LOWDOWN

Emme Shearer (photo courtesy of Sylvia Wilkins)

The top four teams were already known ahead of the final round of the Girls Premier Grade competition in Auckland on Friday. What was not known was the order they would finish in.

With a comfortable 80-46 victory against Avondale College, Auckland Girls Grammar School claimed the regular season title over Westlake Girls High School.

Both AGGS and Westlake finished with a 12-2 record but Grammar claim top spot on point’s differential. Recently Westlake prevailed 69-65 but earlier in the season AGGS had won 60-43 giving them a +13 advantage.

The Rangitoto College versus Mt Albert Grammar School tie, with MAGS prevailing 75-65, decided third and fourth positions.

Rangitoto opened up an early double digit lead off the back strong play from Tabitha Jenkins and Bella Elgar

MAGS awoke in the second quarter and began to pressure the inexperienced Rangi guards (missing Riana Rangi-Brown and Sophie Bond) but Rangi still led by 5 at the half.

Sharne Pupuke-Robati was a difference maker in the third as the Rangi forwards who enjoyed a free flowing first quarter found it tough against her physicality.

The two sides exchanged baskets in the final quarter and the scores were locked at 57 each with 4 minutes left. Some costly Rangi turnovers in their own backcourt have MAGS the lead for the first time in the game forcing coach Morgan Maskell to call a timeout.

Rangi struggled to score in the dying minutes of the match as MAGS iced the game with free throws in the final minute.

Westlake Girls High School established an early double-digit lead against Orewa College stretching the advantage to 25-4 at quarter time with Jess Moors and Jordyn Maddix nabbing 8 points each.

Despite being without a number of regulars Westlake were able to stretch their lead to 49-13 at half-time – guard Emme Shearer scored 14 points in the second period.

Fuelled by some simple transition baskets Westlake began the third period with an 8-0 run before Holly Kagan-Dower opened Orewa’s second half account.

Ariana Henare scored with a neat left handed hook shot to keep the score ticking over for the visitors who welcomed back coach Tony Webster after a recent expedition to the States.

Mareta Davidson scored 12 straight points for Westlake either side of the three-quarter time recess to stretch the advantage to 73-20.

Orewa battled on gamely but struggled to quell the offensive transition game of the hosts.

Final Score: Westlake 94 – Shearer 21, Davidson 18, Maddix 14, Moors 12, Sianmau Talafou 8 Orewa 24 – Kagan-Dower 9, Megan Hoare 4, Henare 4, Hannah Wentworth 4

Massey High School overcame a 37-30 half-time deficit to eventually overhaul St Kentigern College and win 73-70.

Shauna Povey was the star of the show pacing the Massey effort with 33 points. That effort was almost matched by Summer Jean Motufua who scored 29 points for St Kent’s.

Rose Maeli made an early three for Massey but Vilisi Tavui and Viona Silao scored all the St Kent’s first quarter points as they led 13-12 at quarter time.

Motufua then unleashed a personal scoring blitz scoring 16 points in the second period.

Not to be outdone Povey then took charge sinking three triples as her 15 third quarter points closed the game up – 54 apiece at three-quarter time.

Tavui, Gabby Umaga and Rene Flay kept the score moving for the hosts but Maeli,

Terrina Aratangi and Povey had the answers to carry Massey to the win.

Final Score: St Kentigern 70 – Motufua 29, Tavui 13, Silao 9, Umaga 6 Massey 73 – Povey 33, Aratangi 14, Maeli 12, Laticia Jost 6

Final Standings

12-2 Auckland Girls GS, Westlake Girls HS

11-3 Mt Albert GS

9-5 Rangitoto College

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4-10 Orewa College

3-11 Avondale College, Massey HS

1-13 St Kentigern College

Rosie Davison (photo courtesy of Sylvia Wilkins)

In the penultimate round of the Girls Premier Grade competition in Auckland the top four teams Auckland Girls Grammar, Westlake, MAGS and Rangitoto College were all too good for lower placed opposition.

Westlake Girls were quick out the blocks against Massey High School racing to a 23-3 first quarter lead. Jess Moors, continuing the good form she displayed at Under 15 Nationals, rattled in 8 early points.

Ramona Fuaivaa and Shauna Povey got the score moving for Massey in the second quarter but Emme Shearer, Rosie Davison and Piper Manolas were more than up for the challenge advancing Westlake to a 44-15 half-time advantage.

Sylvia Wieczorek scored a couple of baskets for Massey in the third but triples from Tiarna Clarke and Jordyn Maddix kept Westlake in the ascendancy, 63-25.

Terrina Aratangi got in on the three point action in the opening stages of the fourth quarter sinking a couple for Massey but a free scoring final quarter from Westlake, led by Alesha Nathan, Davison and Shearer, took the visitors to a convincing win.

Final Score: Massey 41 – Povey 12, Aratangi 8, Povey 7 Westlake 91 – Shearer 20, Davison 17, Moors 13, Alesha Nathan 10

The young Orewa College team had their first dose of LAD (Life After Diakhaby) on Monday night and it didn’t taste too good. Diakhby has finished her time at Orewa ahead of her imminent departure for Junior College in Colorado. The scoring and rebounding prowess of the Junior Tall Fern centre was sorely missed as her former team were defeated 87-19 by Auckland Girls Grammar School.

The visitors opened up a 23-8 first quarter advantage and never looked back. Even without the injured Rionne Papa AGGS had little problem building on their early efforts leading 37-10 at half-time.

Elianna Tuaiti was in dominant form for Grammar dishing assists, securing rebounds and compiling a game high 22 points. Tuaiti was ably assisted by sister Elianna, Mele Latu and Tyla Tuala.

Orewa enjoyed a few more scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter with Sophie Emmett, Hannah Wentworth and Ariana Henare each making baskets.

Final Score: Orewa 19 –Ariana Henare 7, Hannah Wentworth 6 AGS 87 – E Tuaiti 22, Latu 19, Tuala 17, L Tuaiti 8

In other results Rangitoto College beat St Kentigern College 88-47 and Mt Albert Grammar School beat Avondale College 80-50.

Ahead of the semi-final draw the MAGS v Rangitoto game this coming Friday looks set to determine third and fourth placings.

Unless there is a major upset in the final round of games Auckland Grammar will claim top spot over Westlake on points differential. Recently Westlake prevailed 69-65 but earlier in the season AGGS had won 60-43 giving them a +13 advantage.

Premier Girls Standings

11-2 Auckland Girls GS, Westlake Girls HS

9-4 Rangitoto College

9-3 Mt Albert GS

4-9 Orewa College

3-10 Avondale College

2-11 Massey HS

1-11 St Kentigern College

Taine Wattie – one of four seniors playing last home game for Rosmini

In a full round of Auckland Secondary Schools Premier Boys Grade action on Monday night Rangitoto College moved a step closer to the regular season title, Westlake remained hot on Rangi’s heels, Rosmini continued their good run of form and Mt Albert kept alive their faint hopes of a top four finish.

Third met fourth in Takapuna with Rosmini College entertaining Auckland Grammar School. What was expected to be a close, exciting, encounter was unfortunately anything but as the hosts won comfortably 90-70.

Some sloppy AGS turnovers contributed to a 20-13 advantage in favour of Rosmini in a lively opening quarter – a couple of Will Heather hook shots catching the eye.

Grammar opened the second quarter with an 8-3 run to close within two points and when Taki Fahrensohn knocked down his second triple of the game Grammar were 26-25 ahead. That drew a 12-0 response from Rosmini necessitating a Grammar timeout.

Thomas Whyte and Connor Flanagan both scored on the resumption but a Mitchell Dance (12 points in the first half) triple on the half time siren gave the hosts a handy 51-33 lead.

The hard working Flanagan scored the first two baskets of the second half but a Taine Wattie three sandwiched between a pair of Peter Jenkins baskets kept Rozza in the ascendancy. Unfortunately a bad ankle sprain forced Fahrensohn from the court, his outside scoring threat sorely missed by Grammar.

A Ben Turpin three took the advantage to Rozza beyond 20, their all round scoring ability a little too much for Grammar who trailed 75-50 at three-quarter time.

Turpin and Kruz Perrott-Hunt landed threes to open the fourth and stretch the lead further. Tony Malosi-Solomona connected from beyond the arc in reply and Samson Aruwa battled gamely in the paint but AGS were unable to mount a serious comeback. Even the ‘Faithful’ Rosmini support was relatively subdued until the dying moments as their team eased to a comfortable win.

In a fitting gesture before the game the four seniors in the Rosmini team Taine Wattie, Ben Turpin, Sam Bowden and Nathan Curran were introduced to the crowd. All four Year 13 players received generous applause ahead of their last Premier home game.

Final Score; Rosmini 90 – Wattie 22, Perrott-Hunt 15, Dance 14, Jenkins 9 AGS 70 – Aruwa 17, Fahrensohn 15, Flanagan 15, Winitana 11

Onehunga High School were unfortunately on the end of another lop sided score-line as they were pounded 143-38 by top of the table Rangitoto College. Rangi blasted a 30-8 first quarter lead and had it all their own way after that with seven players making double figure contributions.

Final Score: Onehunga 38 Rangitoto 143 – Harry Clarke 35, Brayden Inger 34, Harry Payne 19, Logan Anderson 17, Hyrum Shin 16, Dan Fotu 15

Westlake Boys High School kept the pressure on Rangitoto College for top spot with an emphatic 102-61 victory against lowly Liston College.

Westlake stamped their authority on proceedings with a 28-16 opening burst aided by a couple of treys from captain James Moors.

Blessing Matambanadzo scored 10 points in an even second period for Liston but Moors was in commanding form scoring 25 points in the half including four triples as Westlake led 48-35 at the interval.

The Westlake scoring machine went into overdrive in the third amassing 36 points with Josh Hildago and Reuben Fitzgerald (a dozen points in the period) the main drivers.

With an 85-48 lead the fourth period was purely academic although Kim Estonactor and Matambanadzo did score 6 points each for the hosts.

Final Score: Liston 61 – Matambanadzo 17, Estonactor 13, Daysh Takimoana 8, John Fabian 8 Westlake 102 – Moors 31, Fitzgerald 19, Hildago 18, Marc Malingin 11, Lucas Menenga 9

 Mt Albert Grammar still has a mathematical chance of claiming a semi-final berth after a home win against Kelston Boys High School 62-49.

Liston opened proceedings well with all their starters troubling the scorers as they forged ahead 17-14 at quarter time.

The two teams accumulated just 18 points between them in the second stanza as MAGS edged ahead 25-24.

The decisive move came in the third with MAGS, spearheaded by Michael Gardner, Jack Morrison and Trent Kimiangatau, winning the period 18-8 to lead 43-32 at three-quarter time.

Liam Milne and Matangi Prescott did their best to spark a Kelston revival but the hosts held firm for an important win.

Final Score: MAGS 62 – Gardner 15, Morrison 10, Kimiangatau 9, John-Afi Stowers 7 Kelston 49 – Linus Jakzst 14, Milne 10, Prescott 10, Kale Lawson 10

 Boys Standings;

11-2 Rangitoto College

10-3 Westlake Boys HS

9-3 Rosmini College

7-5 AGS

6-6 MAGS

4-8 Kelston Boys HS

2-10 Onehunga HS

0-12 Liston College