LACEY LOWDOWN

There were four good games in the third round of the Auckland Secondary Schools Boys Premier grade but none could match the finish at St Kentigern College.

Mt Albert Grammar were Robb-ed of victory against St Kent’s as Kyle Robb scored the last five points of the game to clinch an exciting 68-66 overtime victory.

With St Kent’s trailing 66-63 Robb banked a triple then was fouled after garnering a steal with 8 seconds left to play. He then showed a cool head by making the resulting free-throws to seal a dramatic win.

Earlier St Kent’s had given up a ten points lead in the fourth quarter to a fast finishing MAGS as Mandela Baledrokadroka and Xjana Luamanuvae-Su’a sliced through the home team defence to tie the game at 56 apiece in the regulatory 40 minutes.

The shooting prowess of Max Shorter and Zac Chan helped St Kent’s build a useful 44-34 three-quarter time lead as they slotted home seven triples between them.

However MAGS guard Baledrokadroka was a constant menace frequently finding his way to basket and he amassed 29 points in normal time. He then went on to score all of Mt Albert’s ten points in overtime but it was Robb that had the final say in a cliffhanger finish.

Score: St Kentigern 68 – Shorter 24, Chan 15, Robb 11, Chester 10. MAGS 66 – Baledrokadroka 39, Vink 10, Luamanuvae-Su’a 8

It was also close at Mountain Road where visitors Rosmini College claimed a hard fought 61-56 victory against Auckland Grammar.

Despite a couple of scores from Rua Winitana Grammar could hardly buy a basket in the first quarter trailing 15-6 at the first break. The Rosmini offence then ground to a halt in the second as Ellijah Andrews helped the home team to a slight 22-21 lead at half-time.

Mitch Dance, Reimar Cruz and Matt Sokol were prominent for Rozza in the third as the single point advantage swayed in favour of the visitors 41-40.

Treys from Tyler Martin and Marvin Williams-Dunn gave Rozza a small buffer, one they managed to maintain, despite eight final quarter points from forward Anzac Risetto and a triple from Leroy Brown.

Score: Grammar 56 – Risetto 18, Andrews 8, Winitana 8, Green 8. Rosmini 61 – Dance 21, Williams-Dunn 10, Cruz 10, Sokol 9

For most of the first three periods it appeared as if Kelston Boys High could cause an upset at Rangitoto College but a fine double double from Caleb Langridge ensured Rangi eventually prevailed 99-81.

To’o Mase opened the scoring for Kelston with Alex Anslow scoring twice for Rangitoto in reply.

A delightful Cam Stone pass set up Logan Anderson, the Rangi guard asking plenty of questions of the Kelston defence in the early exchanges.

A Kale Lawson trey tied the scores at 18 apiece but Caleb Langridge had the final say of the period, the hosts up at quarter-time, 23-18.

Liam Milne landed 5 quick points for Kelston but Langridge did the same for Rangi early in the second before a drive from Matangi Prescott followed by a three took Kelston to a 37-32 lead. Stone replied with a couple buckets but Prescott (14 points in the half) and Milne took Kelston to a 45-40 lead at the interval.

Triples from Harry Clarke and Anderson began proceedings in the third although a sweet fade away jumper from Prescott was easy on the eye, as was a triple that followed, 51-50 Kelston led.

A couple of Stone transition baskets and a brace of Langridge inside buckets helped the Rangitoto cause. The Rangi forward, well into double double territory, was having an outstanding game and his inside battle with Kale Lawson was a major feature of the game: 71-58 Rangitoto led at three-quarter time.

Shaun Falefa reduced the Rangi lead to single digits but an Ethan Mandeno triple gave Rangi further breathing space, 81-67.

Triples from Stone and Anderson stretched the lead to twenty points with 2:20 to play.

Lawson and Prescott, Kelstons best on the night, kept the score ticking over but the defending champions eased through the closing stages to record a 99-81 victory.

 Score: Rangitoto 99 – Langridge 29/14r, Andreson 26, Stone, 19/10r/7a, Clarke 13. Kelston 81 – Prescott 21, Lawson 19, Milne 8, Arellano 9

In the final game of the round Macleans College gave Westlake as much as they could handle early on before being overhauled in the second half to go down 89-76.

Macleans stormed out of the blocks to open up a 25-20 advantage and roared on by a vociferous home crowd led 45-38 at half-time. The duo of Blake van Uden and Alex Arthur landed 34 points between them heading to the locker room giving Zac Fitzgerald and his team plenty to think about.

Westlake came out firing in the third frame, Reuben Fitzgerald made 6 quick points and Matt Cairns-Hita, Alex Freeman, Josh Hidalgo and Mark Malinga all made triples, as the visitors amassed thirty points in the quarter to lead 68-61 with ten minutes to play.

Sai Kuvelkar sunk a couple of triples for Macleans but once again Thabo Manyere took charge when it mattered scoring 10 points down the stretch to ensure Westlake remain unbeaten.

Score: Macleans 76 – Arthur 26, van Uden 20, Kuvelkar 14. Westlake 89 – Manyere 22/11r, Fitzgerald 21/12r, Cairns-Hita 17, L Mannenga 11

Premier Grade Standings

3-0 Westlake

2-0 Rangitoto, Rosmini

2-1 St Kentigern

1-2 Auckland Grammar, Macleans

0-3 Kelston, Mt Albert