Levick Kerr
The Auckland Secondary Schools Premier League resumed on Friday after the July recess.
St Kentigern College were too good for Macleans College winning 96-48 with centre Levick Kerr scoring a game high 29 points.
Josh Child was prominent early and when Gabriel Nolan scored from beyond the arc St Kentigern were 19-8 ahead after ten minutes.
Harry Smith, Kraus Reyes and Jesse Manuel made a brace of scores apiece for Macleans but Kerr poured in 14 points in the second quarter to extend the St Kent’s lead to 48-20 at half-time.
Alex McNaught led the St Kent’s scoring in the third frame as the league leaders stretched out to 71-36.
Manuel kept battling away for Macleans but it was an uphill battle, St Kent’s tenth win of the season, which keeps them top of the table, iced by a Ryan Morrissey three.
Macleans 48– J Manuel 16, Harry Smith 11, Kraus Reyes 7, S Voykovich 6
St Kentigern 96– L Kerr 29, A McNaught 21, J Child 13, K Evans 7
In the game of the round, and possibly the game of the season thus far Rangitoto College beat Auckland Grammar 88-86.
In a contest that was close throughout the two standout performances belonged to Grammar’s Jaga Mete who scored 38 points and Rangitoto guard Zach Riley who scored 34 points including a game clinching 13 points in the final quarter.
In a sign of what was to come just a single point separated the teams in an opening period won 18-17 by Rangitoto – 8 points from Riley were a sign of things to come.
It was still a one point game at half-time but this time in favour of Grammar (38-37) with Caleb Landon and Ilasia Tela making their mark.
The two teams went toe-to toe in the third. Harry Payne reeled off eight straight points to open the Rangi scoring in the second half followed by a pair of threes from Ethan Mandeno and with Phoenix Lepou making a couple of buckets Rangi accumulated 27 points in the stanza.
AGS, with Mete unstoppable, matched that number. The Junior Tall Black guard dropped 20 points in ten minutes and entering the final ten minutes the lead was still a single point in favour of Grammar (65-64).
Daniel Boyd and Mete shared 15 points in the last period but it was Riley that made the most telling contribution as Rangi closed out a thriller to remain second on the table.
AGS 86– J Mete 38, D Boyd 15, C Landon 12, I Tela 10
Rangitoto 88– Z Riley 34, H Payne 20, L Thornton 8, P Lepou 8
Westlake Boys, propelled by 21 points from Josh Kooiman and 20 points from Sam Mennenga, came away from Liston College with an 87-70 victory.
Kiani Saxon scored half a dozen points as Liston kept pace with the visitors in the opening exchanges trailing by just three points (20-17) at the first break.
Westlake bossed the second spell as Kooiman and Dylan Wilkie dropped threes to help Westlake to a 43-30 half-time advantage.
Liston bounced back in the third with Preston Karatau, Desmond Helu and Shawn Hickey providing scoring impetus. Regular scores from Mennenga and Reuben Natuscha ensured the visitors maintained the lead at three-quarter time – ahead 64-50.
Triples in the fourth period from Victor Ola’aiga and Matt Manese kept Liston in the hunt but 12 points in the quarter from Kooiman sealed the Westlake win.
Liston 70– P Karatau 19, D Helu 14, K Saxon 10, S Hickey 10, V Ola’aiga 10
Westlake 87– J Kooiman 21, S Mennenga 20, R Natusca 16, D Wilkie 12
The opening quarter at Mt Albert Grammar suggested a close contest with Rosmini College but it turned out to be anything but as the visitors cruised to an 87-49 win.
Unluckily for MAGS Taine Murray poured in 13 early points to give Rosmini a 19-16 first quarter lead.
Nate Wilson led the MAGS response scoring 11 straight points for the hosts either side of the quarter time break to propel his team into the lead.
Back-to back threes from guard Reimar Cruz initiated a 10-0 Rosmini run and when Sean Murphy sunk a three as time expired in the first half the visitors lead was 42-27.
Josh Leger scored six points for MAGS after the interval but they were slim pickings as Rosmini bossed the third period 28-10, Murray and Reihana Maxwell-Topia doing most of the damage.
Ben Skelton went coast-to-coast in the fourth to the delight of the home fans before Cian Emery and Brandon Robb completed the scoring for Rosmini.
MAGS 49– N Wilson 22, J Leger 10, D Elia 5
Rosmini 87– T Murray 28, R Maxwell-Topia 12, R Cruz 10, S Murphy 9, M Williams-Dunn 7
There will be a full round of games on Monday with St Kent’s entertaining Auckland Grammar, Westlake hosting MAGS, Rangitoto visiting Rosmini and a bottom of the table clash sees Macleans taking on Liston.
Premier Standings:
10-1 St Kentigern
9-1 Rangitoto
6-4 Rosmini
6-5 AGS, Westlake
6-4 Rosmini
3-7 MAGS
2-8 Liston
0-11 Macleans
LACEY LOWDOWN 