The Auckland Secondary School’s Premier competition got underway again with a full round of games on Friday. The top three teams all recorded victories as St Kentigern College joined them in semi-final contention.
Anzac Rissetto was wearing singlet number thirteen and scored Auckland Grammar’s first thirteen points – it proved to be an unlucky omen for Rangitoto College. The New Zealand international centre powered his way to 40 points as Grammar won 95-69.
Grammar took a firm grasp of proceeding in the opening period to lead 26-8 and effectively sealed the deal in the second frame to lead 50-21 at half-time.
Ilaisa Tela complimented Rissetto with 17 points and Caleb Landon chipped in with nine.
Led by 31 points from Harry Payne and double figure contribution from Ethan Skelton and Ethan Mandeno, Rangi made a better showing in the second half but Rissetto had already done lasting damage.
Rangitoto 69 – H Payne 31, E Mandeno 12, E Skelton 11
AGS 95 – A Rissetto 40, I Tela 17, C Landon 9, I Nua 6, T McCarthy 6
Although both teams were deprived of a couple of starters the Rosmini College versus Westlake local derby was still a full-blooded affair played in front of the biggest crowd of the season at the Tom Gerrard Gym.
Taine Murray opened the scoring with a pair of baskets, Joe Wuthrich replied with a brace for the visitors.
Mitch Dance scored off a delightful pass from Kainoa Lepou, Rosmini out to a 15-4 lead and Westlake coach Zac Fitzgerald require a timeout.
Kooiman landed a three on the resumption but Sean Murphy answered with the same number. Kooiman landed another trey prior to further triples from Marvin Williams-Dunn and Lepou – Rosmini ahead 29-14 at quarter time.
Transition baskets from Murray and Lepou followed a Paora Winitana score – 38-20 the lead for the hosts.
Kooiman was having an outstanding first half – 15 points to lead all scorers at the break – his back-to back threes repaired some of the damage inflicted by Lepou and Reimar Cruz but Rozza were in control at half-time leading 53-35.
Rosmini maintained their 20+ points buffer ahead 65-43 six minutes into the third. Jackson Port and Kooiman dropped threes and Campbell Atkinson a spinning inside move to trigger a Westlake mini-revival but they still trailed 72-55 at the end of the frame.
Lepou and Williams-Dunn pounced on a couple of sloppy Westlake turnovers – 81-59 three minutes into the fourth period – the result never in doubt despite late scores from Dylan Wilkie and Winitana.
Rosmini 88 – M Dance 18, T Murray 16, M Williams-Dunn 14, K Lepou 12
Westlake 70 – J Kooiman 18, J Wuthrich 13, P Winitana 13, D Wilkie 9
The battle of the Saints was won by St Kentigern College, Max Shorter (32 points) going past the thirty points mark for the fifth time to pace his team to an 80-63 win at St Peter’s College after they had trailed early on.
Boston Schuster made ten first quarter points for St Peter’s who made a promising start to lead 19-15 after ten minutes.
Tom Chester made a triple late in the first half for St Kent’s but Schuster and Whititera Parata gave the hosts a 35-28 half-time lead.
St Kent’s made a move after the interval as Shorter reeled off 13 points to take his team into the lead (49-48).
Another move, this one of greater significance, came in the final ten minutes as St Kent’s outscored the home team 31-15. Jacob Errey and Max Halpin did their best to stem the tide but St Kent’s forwards Shalom Broughton and Levic Kerr shared 23 points to dominated the closing minutes.
The victory moves St Kentigern into equal fourth place on the ladder with Westlake – the two teams with five wins apiece.
St Peter’s 63 – J Errey 18, B Schuster 18, M Halpin 7, L Buckingham 7, W Parata 7
St Kent’s 80 – M Shorter 32, S Broughton 19, L Kerr 11, Z Chan 8
A balanced scoring effort highlighted Mt Albert Grammar’s 86-70 win at Avondale College as seven players contributed six points or more.
Preston Karatau, on his way to a game high 23 points, knocked down a couple of early triples for Avondale but 10 points from Sataan Tawera gave MAGS a 22-13 lead at quarter time.
Armand Donaldson scored eight second quarter points for the hosts but Ryan Laumatia and Manu Dorcil helped MAGS stretch out to a 49-31 lead at half-time.
Avondale were kept to 11 points in the third quarter, Clarke Aiono adding to their troubles as the MAGS lead reached 67-42 at the last break.
Karatau made his fifth three of the game and Javhir Toyer contributed handy points as Avondale finished strongly although never threatening the lead of the Premier table toppers.
Avondale 70 – P Karatau 23, A Donaldson 16, T Toyer 16
MAGS 86 – R Laumatia 17, S Tawera 17, M Dorcil 14, C Aiono 12
Premier Standings
10-1 Mt Albert, Rosmini
7-4 Auckland Grammar
5-5 Westlake
5-4 St Kentigern
3-8 St Peter’s
2-9 Rangitoto
0-10 Avondale
LACEY LOWDOWN 