In a fast paced entertaining Auckland Secondary Schools Premier League game played on Wednesday night Rangitoto College defeated Carmel College 89-84.
Tayla Dalton, back from her heroics in Mongolia with the New Zealand team that claimed silver at the FIBA U18 3×3 World Cup, scored 44 points for Carmel. However a more balanced scoring effort from Rangitoto, with five players in double figures, eased them to their fourth win of the season.
Early on it was Carmel that started the stronger building a 14-9 advantage although that was turned into a 21-17 lead in favour of Rangi by quarter time courtesy of a pair of threes from Hannah Wentworth.
The second quarter belonged to the hosts as Aroha Riley and Ella Moore dropped a bunch of triples to take Rangitoto to a 50-33 lead at the main break.
Whatever Carmel coach Gareth Teahan said to his team in the locker room at half-time worked a treat as they almost wiped out the entire 17-point deficit in the ensuing ten minutes.
Dalton did most the damage but Emily Broomfield, Estelle Davidson and Qaizden Stephano were all significant contributors in a revival that saw them enter the final ten minutes just six points adrift (66-62).
Moore made her third triple of the game to open the fourth quarter but Dalton replied with an And-1 play. Young Rangi guard Kellie Tawhiao reeled off 8 straight points as they led 79-68 with 6 minutes to play.
Broomfield and Davidson scored the next six points before the two leading scorers in the game, Dalton and Aroha Riley, exchanged scores from beyond the three-point arc.
The impressive Moneesha Barrett put Rangi 89-78 to the good with just under two minutes to play and although Carmel scored the last six points of the contest it wasn’t quite enough to steal the win.
Next up for Carmel is a game against Westlake Girls with that fixture to be played at Eventfinda Stadium (North Shore Events Centre) on Friday. Josh Davis and his charges will take on Massey High on the same evening with the two teams boasting identical 4-1 records.
Rangitoto 89– A Riley 22, K Tawhiao 20, H Wentworth 16, E Moore 13, M Barrett 11
Carmel 84– T Dalton 44, E Broomfield 15, E Davidson 11, Q Stephano 8
League Standings
5-0 St Mary’s
4-1 Massey, Westlake, Rangitoto
2-3 Carmel
1-4 AGGS
0-5 Botany Downs, Mt Albert
LACEY LOWDOWN 