Jess Moors scored 20 points for Westlake
In round nine of the Auckland Secondary Schools Premier competition played on Monday night Auckland Girls Grammar beat Westlake Girls High in overtime and there were also wins for Massey High, Mt Albert Grammar and Rangitoto College.
Auckland Girls Grammar remains unbeaten but only just after a come from behind overtime effort to see off Westlake 68-62.
When Piper Manolas gave Westlake a 43-37 lead in the middle of the final quarter an upset win looked on the cards but back-to-back efforts from Mele Latu meant it was 43-42.
A Merita Davidson baseline jumper maintained the Lake lead (48-44) with 3:20 to play only for the consistent Latu and Zhanay Hettig to tie the score with 2:30 to play.
Latu again, this time with a triple, gave Grammar a 51-48 lead with ninety seconds left on the clock.
Emme Shearer and Hettig exchanged baskets before a desperation effort from Jordyn Maddix, as the shot clock expired, made it a one point game (53-52) in favour of Grammar with under 30 seconds left.
Inexplicably Westlake were gifted possession after a Grammar turnover.
The hosts had 12 seconds to make the winning play following a timeout but the effort from Maddix hit the rim and was safely secured by Tyla Tuala who after being fouled calmly walked the length of the floor and scored with both free throws.
The game appeared to be over with just two seconds to play. However Westlake coach Bronwen Davidson had wisely kept a timeout up her sleeve and on the resumption Moors dropped a long three to force the game into overtime.
The additional five minutes lacked the excitement of the previous period as Latu and Elianna Tuaiti took control. Latu scored 11 points in those five minutes and Tuaiti controlled the tempo – Grammar the win!
Maddix and Moors did all the Westlake scoring as they led 12-9 after quarter one. Both defences dominated proceedings, Westlake in the ascendancy 26-20 at the interval.
Laetitia Tuaiti made the opening score of the third frame although the in-form Moors replied on the next possession. Hettig made a couple of baskets either side of a Manolas triple before Blakey scored of yet another assist by Elianna Tuaiti to make it a one point game at the three-quarter break, 36-35 in favour of Westlake.
From there the excitement was just beginning.
Westlake 62 – J Moors 20, J Maddix 12, E Shearer 11, P Manolas 9
AGGS 68 – M Latu 25, Z Hettig 14, E Tuaiti 9, T Tuala 8
After Rangitoto College had taken a 16-14 lead into the quarter-time break St Mary’s College, thanks to the efforts of Leilani Robertson and Jazz Kailahi-Fulu, outscored their hosts in the second period to lead 36-32 at half-time.
Rangitoto wrestled back the initiative in the third frame as Bella Elgar, and Maania Spooner posted six points each and headed to the fourth quarter with a 54-49 lead.
Safena Te Nana-Williams finished with a game high 23 points after posting 13 of those in the last period. Triples from Elgar and Ella Moore helped Rangi build on their advantage and close out a fourth win of the season.
Rangitoto 74 – I Elgar 17, H Wentworth 16, M Spooner 12, G Hasler-Ewins 10
St Mary’s 66 – S Te Nana-Williams 23, J Kailahi-Fulu 19, L Robertson 8, R Matiseni 7
Mt Albert Grammar racked up thirty-nine first quarter points on their way to a 98-61 home win against Carmel College.
The scoring pace eased in the second period, the two teams splitting twenty-eight points, with MAGS ahead 53-32. Sharne Pupuke-Robati led all scorers with 15 points at the break – Emily Broomfield led the Carmel effort with 10 points.
Georgia Green and Estelle Davidson moved into double figure scoring for Carmel but MAGS pulled further away in the third period to lead 82-45.
Raykesha Fiatau and Moanekah Va’ai posted good numbers before both coaches gave their bench players some valuable playing time.
Mt Albert 98 – S Pupuke-Robati 24, M Va’ai 15 T Talo-Tomokino 14, R Fiatau 14,
Carmel 61 – E Davidson 16, E Broomfield 14, G Green 11, I MacGregor 7
Massey High travelled to St Kentigern College and departed with the spoils winning 84-61 with Terina Aratangi scoring a season best 23 points.
Natasha Leishman, on her way to a team high 20 points had eight of those at quarter time but St Kentigern trailed 29-21 at that stage.
It all went wrong for St Kent’s in the second period when they could only muster four points. Threes from Ramona Fuiavaa, Laticia Jost and Shauna Povey piled on the agony for St Kent’s as they trailed 52-26 at half-time.
Renee Flay and Courtney Griffiths got St Kentigern back on track in a third period shaded by the hosts although Massey still led 64-41 at three-quarter time.
Leishman and Aratangi made double figure contributions for their respective teams in the fourth stanza as Massey chalked up a fifth win of the season.
St Kentigern 61 – N Leishman 20, R Flay 10, C Griffiths 10
Massey 84 – T Aratangi 23, S Povey 17, R Fuiavaa 11, L Jost 10
Premier Standings
9-0 AGGS
7-2 MAGS
6-3 Westlake
5-4 Massey
4-5 Rangitoto
2-7 St Mary’s, Carmel
1-8 St Kentigern
Senior A Results
Birkenhead 99 Diocesan 49
Epsom 84 Orewa 51
Pakuranga 30 Botany Downs 71
LACEY LOWDOWN 