Rangitoto captain Harry Payne
The Auckland Secondary Schools Premier Boy’s competition featured the bottom four teams against the top four in Round 4! The results went exclusively with form as Rangitoto College, St Kentigern College, Rosmini College and Westlake Boys all chalked up wins.
Once again Rangitoto College made a fast start on their home court – Harry Payne scoring nine early points against Auckland Grammar.
Grammar found it difficult to score early on taking almost four minutes to get on the board. Once underway Jaga Mete, named to the Junior Tall Blacks FIBA U19 World Cup bound squad this week, scored 8 straight points but they trailed 24-14 at the first break.
Rangitoto were very efficient in the second, 10 points between Ethan Mandeno and Liam Judd helping them to a 19-point lead by the half (43-22).
Threes from Connor Ngan and Daniel Boyd improved Grammar’s scoring production in the third but they were unable to put much of a dent in the host’s lead, winning the quarter by just one point, as Jared Thornton and Zach Riley regularly found routes to the hoop.
Grammar found it difficult to connect from range but Ngan righted that in the final frame making three of his five triples in the spell. However the more balanced Rangi scoring effort prevailed, the hosts recording a fourth straight win.
Rangitoto 84– J Thornton 14, Z Riley 14, H Payne 13, L Judd 13, E Mandeno 9
AGS 65– J Mete 20, C Ngan 17, Blake Manning 11, Ilasia Tela 9
Also with four consecutive wins are St Kentigern College after a 110-65 home win against Macleans College in the East Auckland derby on Friday.
St Kent’s took a firm grip of the contest in the opening ten minutes charging to a 32-14 lead as threes from Martin Gan, Kaea Rangihaeata, Shalom Broughton and Elliot Watson rained down.
Michael Barbaran had 18 of Macleans first 23 points and although Tyson Kempton dropped a triple the St Kent’s lead was 59-30 at the break.
Harry Smith found his scoring touch for Macleans in the third but St Kent’s were relentless as Levic Kerr, McNaught and Gan, on his way to a game high 24 points that included six made threes, piled on the points for the home side as they led 96-46 with a quarter to play.
Year 9 guard George Turner had the St Kent’s bench on their feet as he dropped three triples to round out the ‘Feast in the East’.
St Kentigern 110– M Gan 24, S Broughton 20, L Kerr 15, A McNaught 15, G Turner 9
Macleans 65– M Barbaran 23, H Smith 15, T Kempton 10
Rosmini College, in a frenetic start, jumped out to an early 11-0 lead at the Tom Gerrard Gymnasium before Dakota Stephens got Mt Albert Grammar on the board.
Sean Murphy scored seven points either side of the quarter time break and Taine Murray six as the hosts extended their lead. Phoenix Sorenson responded for the visitors but a Murray dunk, and threes from Tyler Martin and Jayden Boucher fuelled a 15-0 Rosmini run as they entered half-time with a 43-21 lead
Forwards Josh Leger and Nate Wilson made scores for MAGS in the third but Murphy, Murray and Terence Abdon extended the advantage in front of a third consecutive full house – the biggest ovation of the day accorded Matt Drury when the young forward made his first points in Premier basketball.
MAGS will be hoping point guard Sataan Tawera makes a speedy recovery from a fractured ankle as they look for their first win of the season.
Rosmini 82– T Murray 20, S Murphy 14, J Boucher 11, T Abdon 10,
MAGS 50– N Wilson 12, Dakota Stephens 10, Josh Leger 7
Sam Mennenga celebrated being named in the Junior Tall Blacks team for the upcoming FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece by scoring a game high 26 points as Westlake boys protected home territory with an 80-63 victory against Liston College.
Westlake were out to a 19-10 first quarter lead thanks to a brace of buckets apiece from Mennenga, Joe Wuthrich and Caton Silbiger.
An early second quarter three from Victor Ola’aiga and additional scores from Troy Baker and Shawn Hickey kept Macleans in the hunt although points late in the half from Liam Spencer kept Lake ahead 38-25 at the break.
Kiani Saxon and Ola’aiga led a strong Liston effort in the third as the visitors closed to within single figures (51-43) at the three-quarter mark.
Desmond Helu scored all of his 11 points in the final period as Liston fought desperately for a second win of the season but Mennenga matched that number and with Josh Kooiman, Silbiger and Dylan Wilkie making threes it was the hosts that emerged with the W.
Westlake 80– S Mennenga 26, C Silbiger 12, Jett Thompson 11, D Wilkie 9
Liston 63– S Hickey 14, V Ola’aiga 11, D Helu 11, T Baker 8, K Saxon 8
All teams get a break next week as many of the players will be attending U19 Nationals in Dunedin over Queens birthday weekend.
Premier League Standings after 4 rounds:
4-0 St Kentigern, Rangitoto
3-1 Rosmini, Westlake
1-3 AGS, Liston
0-4, Macleans, Mt Albert
LACEY LOWDOWN 