Tessa Talo-Tomokino
Remembering that Auckland Grammar beat Massey High last Monday there were further round eight wins in the Auckland Secondary Schools Premier competition for Westlake Girls, Mt Albert Grammar and Carmel College. on Friday night.
Mt Albert Grammar scored a collective ten threes – five of them to Tessa Talo-Tomokino – as they beat St Kentigern College 81-63.
Harmony Rangi-Brown landed an early trey for Mt Albert and Jada Manase capped the first quarter scoring as they led 23-10 at quarter time.
St Kentigern guard Misaki Chen joined in the three-point fun with a brace – her ten points helping the visitors close to 40-32 at half-time.
Sharne Pupuke-Robati scored ten of her game high 22 points in the third period and with Talo-Tomokino landing three efforts from the land of plenty MAGS improved their position to lead 66-46 at three-quarter time.
Courtney Griffiths and Natasha Leishman ensured St Kent’s had slightly better of the fourth but further threes from Manase and Talo-Tomokino put the icing on a sixth win of the season for MAGS.
MAGS 81 – S Pupuke-Robati 22, J Manase 21, T Talo-Tomokino 19, M Va’ai 6
St Kentigern 63 – M Chen 21, C Griffiths 16, N Leishman 11, R Flay 5
Westlake, paced by a season best 21 points from Jess Moors and 19 points from Emme Shearer were far too good for St Mary’s winning 88-35.
Moors set the tone with seven early points as Westlake forged a 20-14 lead.
Safena Te Nana-Williams (15 points) scored eleven first half points for St Mary’s but the hosts trailed 41-22 at half-time.
The Westlake forwards, led by captain Sophie Dil, did a good job restricting the scoring output of Jazz Kailahi-Fulu (8 points). At the offensive end Tabitha Leyson and Mareta Davidson helped Westlake extend their lead to 63-26 at the last break.
Sam Woolford scored a brace of baskets early in the fourth quarter as Lake cruised to a sixth straight win.
St Mary’s 35 – S Te Nana-Williams 15, J Kailahi-Fulu 8
Westlake 88 – J Moors 21, E Shearer 19, M Davidson 8, T Leyson 8
Carmel College had to wait until the seventh round to gain their first win but now they have two after outlasting Rangitoto College in a tight affair 59-55.
As is often the case Tayla Dalton (34 points) was the chief source of points for Carmel but she also received excellent support on this occasion from Emily Broomfield (14 points).
Gracie Hasler-Ewins made the initial score for Rangitoto but Dalton and Izzy MacGregor ensured the first quarter was won 16-11 by hosts Carmel.
Charli Blackman and Broomfield extended Carmel’s advantage before Robyn Blackstock and Bella Elgar struck back for Rangitoto.
An Ella Moore triple made it a one-possession game before Dalton stretched the lead a fraction – 29-25 to Carmel at half-time.
The two teams exchanged baskets in the opening stages of the third frame prior to a Dalton And-1 play that moved Carmel into a double-digit lead (41-31).
Moore and Hasler-Ewins reduced the arrears but it was still 49-44 in favour of the home team at the three-quarter mark (49-44).
A neat inside move by Maania Spooner kept the margin at five points with five minutes to play (53-48) as neither team could forge a substantial lead.
A Spooner triple cut the margin to 55-51 and when Elgar made a baseline jumper it was a two-point game (55-53) with three minutes to play.
Unfortunately for Rangi Elgar fouled out on the next possession as she tried to prevent Broomfield making a basket.
Hannah Wentworth kept everyone on the edge of their seats, her basket once again reducing the margin to two points (57-55) with sixty seconds to play.
Carmel held their nerve in the last minute – Broomfield making a couple of free-throws to seal the win.
Carmel 59 – T Dalton 34, E Broomfield 14
Rangitoto 55 – I Elgar 14, G Hasler-Ewins 10, E Moore 10, M Spooner 8
Premier League Standings
8-0 AGGS
6-2 Mt Albert, Westlake
4-4 Massey
3-5 Rangitoto
2-6 St Mary’s, Carmel
1-7 St Kentigern
Senior A
Orewa 66 Avondale 54
LACEY LOWDOWN 