At the halfway point of the season Westlake Girls High lead the Auckland Secondary Schools Girl’s Premier League ladder after winning the game of the season to date 74-62 against Baradene College.
Baradene made the brighter start with forward Summer Faleafa making a couple of baskets but Westlake were able to reap the rewards from defensive pressure to lead 20-12 at quarter time.
Lilly Parke scored ten points in the second frame for the hosts but Simone Barnard’s three contributed to Westlake’s 39-26 half-time lead.
When Mackenzee Chatfield and Jaelah Clayton helped themselves to easy baskets at the start of the second half Westlake were ahead by 16 and the floodgates were ajar.
However Faleafa and Topia found some offensive flow and Baradene were back in the contest at three-quarter time trailing 55-46.
Again Chatfield got Westlake off to a good start at the beginning of the quarter and with the lead back out to 15 points Westlake fans, including alumni Emme Shearer, were sitting comfortably.
That soon changed as, encouraged by the home support, Baradene reeled off a ten point run courtesy of Parke, Topia, Charlotte Rattray and Ritorya Tamilo.
The forward battle between Tamilo and Faleafa and the Moors sisters, Sarah and Rebecca, was an intriguing sub-plot as the two teams battled for supremacy.
Just five ahead (61-56) with three minutes to play Westlake held their nerve in the closing stages to close out a hard fought victory.
Baradene 62 – Parke 19, Topia 11, Tamilo 11, Faleafa 10
Westlake 74 – Chatfield 22, S Moors 10, R Moors 8, Barnard 8, Shonnie Leiatua 8,
At the other end of the table Carmel College were celebrating their first success of the season after downing Massey High 76-72.
Paced by 25 points from Jemma Cammell the hosts had to endure a nervous final quarter before securing victory.
Carmel led 40-31 at half-time and with honours even in the third still held a 9-point advantage at the last break.
Maya Taingahue led the Massey assault in the fourth scoring 16 of her game high 33 points in the quarter but with Izzy MacGregor, Katie Linstrom and Imogen O’Rourke lending good support to Cammell it meant Carmel were able to hang on for a confidence boosting victory.
Carmel 76 – Cammell 25, Izzy MacGregor 14, Katie Linstrom 11, Imogen O’Rourke 8
Massey 72 – Taingahue 33, Shazaleah Henry 8, Tahlya Waikiki 8, Kortni Waikiki 8
In the battle for third spot on the ladder St Mary’s College held off Epsom Girls Grammar to win their home tie 62-58.
The respective captains led from the front with Kataleena Leslie scoring 25 points for St Mary’s and Flo Dallow tallying 30 points for Epsom.
It was tight throughout, St Mary’s up by 1 at quarter time and half-time but trailing by 5 at three-quarter-time as Dallow, Maya Fowler and Sarah Joy Aruwa made their move.
However Epsom found baskets hard to come by in the fourth allowing Alex Moore and Leslie to take advantage. The pair scored all of St Mary’s 19 points in the final period to claim the win and take another step closer to the play-offs.
St Mary’s 62 – Leslie 25, Moore 15, Kodee Sefo 13
Epsom 58 – Dallow 30, Aruwa 17, Fowler 5
Mt Albert Grammar School celebrated their second success of the season at Rangitoto College winning 77-62.
The two teams shared the first 38 points in a high scoring opening period before 10 points from Taya Lewis fired MAGS to a handy 41-35 lead.
Aroha Riley and Kellie Tawhiao kept Rangitoto in the hunt but with Tiger-Lily Cocker-Lemalie in good form the visitors lead was 60-47 at the three-quarter mark.
Nina Nguyen made a late three for Rangi but by then Anna-Rachel Enari had ensured MAGS were travelling back across the bridge with the two competition points.
Rangitoto 62 – Riley 23, Tawhiao 21, Nina Nguyen 7, Emily Blythe 7
MAGS 77 – Cocker-Lemalie 22, Lewis 18, Valana Pupuke-Robati 10, Enari 9
Premier League Standings
7-0 Westlake
6-1 Baradene
5-2 St Mary’s
3-3 Epsom
2-5 Rangitoto, MAGS
1-5 Massey
1-6 Carmel
*Massey v Epsom scheduled for July 5
LACEY LOWDOWN 