LACEY LOWDOWN

As expected the top of the table clash between Auckland Girls Grammar and Mt Albert Grammar was a close uncompromising affair eventually won 60-52 by the defending champions Auckland.

Mt Albert made a sluggish start only managing six points in the opening stanza – Teneva Ropati exceeded that on her own for Auckland as they carved out a 14-6 lead.

A couple of threes from Jada Manase triggered a good run in the second from Mt Albert with the scores locked at 25 apiece at half-time.

Forward Mele Latu scored 8 points in the third as Auckland once again wrestled some semblance of control to lead 40-36.

Sharne Pupuke-Robati, earning herself multiple trips to the foul line, kept Mt Albert in touch but Latu and Teneva Ropati kept finding the hoop to earn Auckland the regular season title.

Pupuke-Robati will head to North Shore Events Centre on Sunday to join the NZ Premier team against University of California, Berkley whilst the rest of the players can prepare for semi-final action next Friday.

 MAGS 52 – Manase 14, Pupuke-Robati 12, Joseph 8, Rangi-Brown 7

AGGS 60 – T Ropati 21, Papa 13, Latu 11, Skelton-Roberts 6, Hettig 6

Rangitoto College made a useful start against local rivals Westlake Girls before giving up two easy baskets in the last 15 seconds of the first quarter to trail 28-19 at quarter time.

It was 31-25 at the mid point of second stanza in favour of the hosts before Emme Shearer went back to back with a put back and a triple to add five points to the lead.

Mania Spooner replied for Rangitoto but a neat jump shot from Keeley Tini helped Westlake to a 44-27 half-time advantage.

Tini and Shearer shared 30 points for the hosts at the half – Mania Spooner had 8 points for Rangitoto.

Sophie Dil scored a couple of inside baskets for Lake as the lead stretched to twenty points.

A corner three from Ella Moore reduced the deficit but it was still 52-36 in favour of Westlake.

Bella Elgar and Shearer went one-on-one for five possessions – the Westlake guard winning that exchange 3-2

Moore landed a second triple but eight straight points from Jordyn Maddix kept Lake in control at three-quarter time with a 74-48 lead.

Threes to start the fourth from Moore and Kaitlin Burgess temporarily interrupted the Westlake flow before Mareta Davidson restored order as Westlake eased to the win.

Westlake 109 – Shearer 41, Tini 30, Maddix 17, S Dil 9

Rangitoto 66 – Elgar 19, Burgess 12, Spooner 12, Moore 10

Following a 70-46 loss at Massey High, Orewa College will face a play-off with the runners-up in the Senior A competition to determine which of the two teams will play Premier basketball in 2018.

A low scoring first half in which only Hannah Wentworth and Arianna Henare scored more than twice upset any chance Orewa College had of causing an upset.

Orewa trailed 31-16 at the interval as a pair of threes from Terina Aratangi and ten points from Shauna Povey did most the damage for the home side.

Orewa staged something of a revival in the third period. Dealing almost exclusively in threes – four of their five baskets came from beyond the arc courtesy of Henare and Wentworth – they won the period 14-9.

It was a different story in the fourth as Massey piled on thirty points with Alyesha Schuster doing most the damage.

Massey head for a semi-final match up with Auckland Grammar next Friday.

Massey 70 – Povey 19, Aratangi 12, Schuster 8, Leslie 8

Orewa 45 – Henare 12, Wentworth 12, Pretorius 10, Downer 4

Avondale College saved the best until last beating Carmel College 39-34 to secure a first win of the season in the final game of the campaign.

It was a low scoring, close affair throughout with never more than a couple of possessions separating the two teams.

Carmel produced a more balanced scoring effort but it was the 23 points haul from Metissa Brown that secured the consolation win for Avondale.

Carmel 34 – Broomfield 8, Davidson 7, Green 6, Simpson 5

Avondale 39 – Brown 23, Whiu 6

Girls Premier Grade Standings

13-1 AGGS

12-2 Mt Albert

10-4 Westlake

9-5 Massey

5-9 Rangitoto

3-11 Carmel*

3-11 Orewa

1-13 Avondale

*Carmel had a 2-0 record against Orewa therefore hold sixth spot.