LACEY LOWDOWN

St Mary’s College, Ponsonby completed the double of Auckland Premier League and Zone 1 Premiership titles with  a 78-70 win against Westlake Girls High at Bruce Pulman Arena on Saturday.

The game began at a brisk pace with St Mary’s forward Zaaliyah Kailahi-Fulu nabbing 9 first quarter points. However aided by a three from Jordyn Maddix Westlake carried a narrow 21-20 lead into the first break.

Westlake’s scoring dried up in the second, a ten minute spell in which they managed just 8 points – half of those to Rosie Dil. St Mary’s capitalised with their top scorer Kat Leslie (21 points) and Riana Matiseni helping them to a 37-29 lead.

Jazz Kailahi-Fulu piled on 14 third quarter points but Jess Moors equalled that tally as Westlake closed to within four points at three-quarter time (57-53).

Soon after the resumption Maddix and Emme Shearer, recently named to the Tall Ferns squad, combined to tie proceedings at 57 points apiece.

St Mary’s then made a 12-4 run courtesy of Matiseni and Leslie but when Shearer scored in transition it was a three-point game with a little more than four minutes to play (64-61).

Another run from St Mary’s, this time 10 points to 4 proved to be decisive despite Moors scoring Westlake’s last 7 points.

Westlake were forced to foul to stop the clock in the closing couple of minutes – the Kailahi-Fulu sisters making no mistake from the foul line.

St Mary’s now 22-0 this season ahead of the Schick National Championships in Palmerston North next month.

Schick Nationals Qualifiers from all six Qualifying Tournaments here

St Mary’s 78 – K Leslie 21, J Kailahi-Fulu 18, Z Kailahi-Fulu 17, R Matiseni 11, S Te Nana-Williams 6

Westlake 70– J Moors 23, E Shearer 21, R Dil 6, I Pugh 5, J Maddix 5

One Tree Hill College plus coach Ollie Bryce!

The other qualifiers for Nationals from Zone I were Rangitoto College, Massey High, Carmel College and surprise package One Tree Hill College who played the regular season in Open Grade.

Other Results:

3^rd/4^th Carmel 92 Rangitoto 60

5^th/6^th One Tree Hill 69 Massey 63

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7^th/8^th Baradene 56 MAGS 52

9^th Northcote

10^th Epsom

11^th St Kentigern

St Kentigern College made up for the disappointment of losing the Auckland Premier League Grand Final a couple of weeks ago by claiming the Zone 1 Premiership crown with an 88-79 win against defending Schick National Champions Rosmini College at Bruce Pulman Arena on Saturday.

The St Kent’s front court pairing of Shalom Broughton and Levick Kerr (21 points) proved tough to handle for Rosmini throughout. Broughton was absent on New Zealand U18 3×3 duties when St Kent’s were defeated by Rangitoto College in the Auckland Prem’s Final last month but he was at his rampaging best in this one. The power forward pulled down countless rebounds in addition to compiling a game high 32 points.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Aaron Young and his charges who after carrying a 64-59 lead into the last quarter only led by two after a Taine Murray trey with three minutes to play (76-74).

Kerr replied immediately but the St Kent’s lead was narrowed to one when Sean Murphy (30 points) nailed his fifth triple of the game with 2:30 on the clock.

Rosmini had chances to take the lead but St Kent’s held firm – Kazlo Evans and Kerr made free throws before a steal and break away dunk from that man Broughton sealed the win.

Earlier, as they had in their semi-final win against Auckland Grammar, St Kent’s made a fast start and were quickly out to a 17-5 lead although Rosmini had cut that back to 24-16 by quarter time.

A quick five points from Cian Emery late in the first half helped the Rosmini cause before a long three from Elliot Watson ensured St Kent’s headed to the half-time break with a 41-34 advantage.

Term three was another tight one as the two teams traded blows. Six points apiece from Alex McNaught and Broughton plus threes from Evans and Martin Gan were key for St Kent’s although triples from Murphy, Murray and Terence Abdon meant Rosmini were well in contention with ten minutes to play trailing by five (64-59).

It remained tight throughout the fourth spell but it was Broughton that proved the difference in an entertaining Grand Final. The win will give St Kent’s top seeding at Nationals next month.

St Kentigern 88– S Broughton 32, L Kerr 21, A McNaught 14, K Evans 8, M Gan 7

Rosmini 79– S Murphy 30, T Murray 20, M Williams-Dunn 10, C Emery 5

Whangarei Boys return to Nationals

The other qualifiers for Nationals from Zone I were Auckland Grammar, Westlake Boys, Rangitoto College, Mt Albert Grammar and Whangarei Boys High – congrats to the Northland boys who return to Nationals for the first time since 2010.

Placings and results:

3^rd/4^th– AGS 68 Westlake 66

5^th/6^thRangitoto 82 MAGS 40

7^th/8th – Whangarei 89 Liston 74

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9^th/10^th– Aorere College 71 Mt Roskill 65

11^th/12^thSt Peter’s 90 Rosehill 75

13^th/14^thLong Bay 82 Sacred Heart 76

15^th/16^thMacleans 98 Northcote 86

17^th/18^thPukekohe 95 Kings 92

19^th/20^thManurewa 61 Pakuranga 45

21^st/22^ndAvondale 101 Selwyn 73

23^rd/24^thSancta Maria 79 Orewa 50

Westlake Girls High School and Rangitoto College Boys both retained their Zone 1 Junior Premierships.

In the two finals Westlake Girls defeated Mt Albert Grammar 88-41 and Rangitoto beat Auckland Grammar 86-77 in the Boys Final at Bruce Pulman Arena on Tuesday.

The Boys Final was dominated by four players that between them amassed 124 points.

Ezekiel Priest and Dontae Nance amassed 34 points apiece for Rangitoto while for Grammar Blake Manning  scored 30 points and Josh Muggleston was not far behind with 26 points.

Nance knocked down a couple of threes in the first quarter but Muggleston bettered that by making three from beyond the arc as Grammar trailed 23-20 at the quarter mark.

A low scoring second spell ensued – Rangi ahead 37-32 at half-time.

Nance and Priest scored all but two of Rangi’s 22 points in the third but with Manning peeling off 16 straight points for AGS his team were only three points down a three-quarter time (59-56).

Rangi got the jump early on in the fourth to hold off a spirited Grammar effort.

Rangitoto 86– D Nance 34, E Priest 34, J Findlater 9, S Afu 4

AGS 77– B Manning 30, J Muggleston 26, C Brown 8, T Sun 7

In the 3rd/4th play-off Rosmini College beat Westlake Boys 65-57 and in the A Boys Final Sacred Heart College defeated Orewa College 79-74.

Seven games in four games took its toll on Mt Albert Grammar who came off second best in the girls final despite Danae Tait scoring 19 points.

Westlake took advantage of its enviable depth racing to a 21-10 first quarter lead and cruised to victory thereafter.

Led by Mackenzie Chatfield’s 16 points Lake had seven players contributing 8 points or more as they eased to an 88-41 victory.

Westlake 88– M Chatfield 16, I Pugh 11, H Williams 10, H Maddix 10, S Moors 10, J Kapsin 9, A Fotu 8

MAGS 41– D Tait 19, S Kuresa 9, V Pupuke-Robati 8, S Tawera 3

In the 3rd/4th play-off Carmel Collegebeat Baradene College60-59.

The 2019 Schick ‘AA’ National Qualifying Tournaments, otherwise known as Premierships, tip-off tomorrow around the country.

Being held in Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington and Nelson here’s my thoughts, and those of some experts around the country, on the probables, possibles and not so likely’s that are eager to claim a place at the Schick ‘AA’ Secondary Schools National Championships in October.

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St Peter’s College and Baradene College will be playing Premier basketball in 2020.

Both were crowned Auckland Secondary Schools Senior A champions at Eventfinda Stadium on Thursday night and in doing so gain promotion to the elite eight of Auckland high school basketball.

For St Peter’s it is a swift return to the top flight after suffering relegation in 2018. In contrast it will be a first foray in the upper echelon for Baradene who will debut in the competition next year.

Baradene were 58-54 victors against Epsom Girls who suffered the disappointment of a Senior A Grand Final loss for the second successive year.

Baradene, paced by Lilly Parke’s 22 points, left their run late. They had trailed at every quarter break albeit by just a single point at the three-quarter mark (38-37).

Parke put Baradene ahead at the start of the fourth but Florence Dallow and Aria Todd-Pemerika combined to wrestle back the initiative for Epsom and with 4 minutes to play they led 47-45.

With Parke headed to the pine on five fouls it appeared to be Epsom’s opportunity to pounce put scores on consecutive plays from Deyna Topia, Charlotte Rattray and Ritorya Tamilo gave Baradene the upper hand.

Dallow’s And-1 play pulled Epsom within range, down 52-50 with under two minutes to play.

Tamilo was having a huge impact at the defensive end and another block by the Baradene centre prevented Epsom drawing level.

Te Aroha Kukuati-Wairau and Sarah-Joy Aruwa made free-throws for Epsom but Baradene point guard Topia calmly knocked down four straight freebies to ice the game much to the delight of her team mates and travelling Baradene supporters.

Baradene 58– L Parke 22, R Tamilo 12, D Topia 12, S Faleafa 6

Epsom 54– F Dallow 16, S Aruwa 14, A Todd-Pemerika 9, L Boxall-Hunt 6

Both teams enjoyed vociferous support in the Boy’s Final as Peter’s College earned a prompt return to Premier basketball with a 79-71 victory against Long Bay College.

A tight opening quarter was shaded by Long Bay 17-16, their lead a little larger at half-time, 36-30 – Sam Roberts led all scorers at that stage with 17 points.

Josh Brading’s basket extended the Long Bay lead to ten points before St Peter’s hit back through Boston Schuster and Luke Buckingham. When Schuster scored off a lovely assist from Oliver Arlove the scores were tied 44 points apiece.

A George De Felice three was the last scoring of the term with LBC 52-51 ahead.

St Peter’s began the final quarter strongly with a Jack Donnelly triple and successive free-throws taking them out to a 69-61 lead.

It was still a six point differential before a tumbling drive from Buckingham, who added the additional free-throw, gave St Peter’s a 72-63 lead with four to play.

A Tobeas Livock triple and freebies from Jacob Jones-Harvey had the Long Bay faithful in full voice but Buckingham, on his way to a game high 31 points, was calmness personified as he knocked down six straight from the charity stripe in the closing seconds to seal the win .

St Peter’s 79–L Buckingham 31, B Schuster 10, J Jones-Harvey 10, J Donnelly 8, I Franklin 7

Long Bay 71– S Roberts 21, J Brading 11, G De Felice 11, J Jones-Harvey 6