The two top teams in the Auckland Secondary Schools Boys Premier League both won again as did Westlake and Auckland Grammar in the latest round of action last Friday.
After a couple of promising performances of late Mt Albert Grammar School found it anuphill battle against league leaders St Kentigern College going down 78-40.
In probably the lowest scoring opening quarter of the season visitors St Kentigern led 11-5 after 10 minutes.
It didn’t get any better for the hosts in the second period scoring just five points again to trail 33-10 at half-time – Levic Kerr, Kazlo Evans and Josh Child doing most of the damage for St Kent’s.
Nate Wilson (27 points and 16 rebounds) was playing something of a lone hand for MAGS although he did get support from Phoenix Sorensen in the third but triples from Martin Gan and Evans took St Kent’s out to 53-25 at the three-quarter buzzer.
More points from Wilson followed but half a dozen apiece from Kerr and Alex McNaught eased St Kent’s to the win and retention of top spot on the ladder.
MAGS 40 – N Wilson 27/16r, P Sorensen 8, B Skelton 4
St Kent’s 78 – K Evans 18, L Kerr 16, J Child 12, A McNaught 11, S Broughton 9
Rangitoto College had little trouble at Liston College winning 116-68 with young forward Tautoko Wynyard posting a double-double of 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Liston guard Sefa Prasad scored seven early points but Rangi were racing and led 25-15 at quarter time.
Eight points from Ethan Skelton and six from Phoenix Leupolu in the second gave Rangi a 56-28 half-time lead.
Preston Karatau and Prasad kept the score ticking over for Liston in the third frame but eight points from Harry Payne and a triple late in the period from Joon Back took Rangi to an unassailable 86-42 three-quarter time lead.
Victor Ola’aiga scored in double figures in the fourth but a free wheeling Rangitoto chalked up win number nine to remain hot on the heals of leaders St Kentigern.
Liston 68 – V Ola’aiga 20, S Prasad 15, S Hickey 14, P Karatau 13
Rangitoto 116 – H Payne 19, P Leopolu 17, E Skelton 13, Z Riley 13/8a, J Thornton 12, T Wynyard 10/15r
Macleans College forward Harry Smith scored a game high 20 points but a more evenly balanced Westlake scoring effort took Lake to a convincing 89-44 victory.
Smith had scored 11 points at half-time but by then Westlake had cleared out to a 43-18 lead.
Westlake had nine scorers in the half led by Josh Kooiman’s 11 points.
Westlake increased their lead as Paora Winitana, working his way back to match fitness after a long injury lay-off, regularly found his way to basket. Boston Caldwell added a brace of threes as Lake took a 66-26 lead into the three-quarter break.
Jesse Manuel scored six fourth quarter points for Macleans but it was small consolation for the hosts who were well beaten on the night.
Macleans 44 – H Smith 20, R Jiang 7, J Manuel 6
Westlake 89 – P Winitana 16, J Kooiman 14, C Atkinson 9, C Silbiger 7
Despite 47 points from Taine Murray Auckland Grammar proved too good for Rosmini College winning 97-82.
Grammar, on the back of threes from Daniel Boyd and the outstanding Connor Ngan (26 points), were 15 points ahead (80-65) three minutes into the final period and having led for the duration of the game appeared to be heading for a comfortable win.
Rosmini then seized the initiative as Taine Murray scored ten straight points (including a pair of rim rattling dunks) and when Sean Murphy added a put back the margin was just two points (81-79) with four minutes to play.
However from there momentum swung back in favour of the hosts, Ngan controlling the tempo as Luka Vea, Caleb Landon and Ilasia Tela added the finishing touches to a polished AGS performance.
Earlier Grammar had forged a 25-20 opening quarter advantage extended to 52-43 at half-time – Tela up to 15 points at the break.
Murray was in fine form and his twelve third quarter points, coupled with contributions from Reihana Maxwell-Topia and Murphy, trimmed the AGS lead to 70-65 at the last break.
Rosmini made that run in the fourth but AGS stood firm – the two teams now locked in third spot on the ladder with identical 5-4 records.
AGS 97 – C Ngan 26, I Tela 20, D Boyd 19, L Vea 12, C Landon 11
Rosmini 82 – T Murray 47, S Murphy 11, R Maxwell-Topia 10
Premier Standings:
9-1 St Kentigern
8-1 Rangitoto
5-4 Rosmini, AGS
5-5 Westlake
3-6 MAGS
2-7 Liston
0-9 Macleans
LACEY LOWDOWN 