Rangitoto College remain unbeaten after 8 rounds of Auckland Secondary Schools Boy’s Premier League play while Saint Kentigern College sit second on the table after surviving a scare at Mount Albert Grammar School.
Mt Albert , inspired by 28 points from debutant Victor Keil came within one shot of defeating St Kentigern College before losing a thriller 73-72.
The lead changed several times in a fluctuating fourth quarter and when Will Leger’s three gave the hosts a 72-71 lead an upset looked on the cards.
However the game’s leading scorer Dontae Russo-Nance (38 points) restored St Kent’s lead leaving MAGS coach Daryl Cartwright 7.7 seconds to draw up an inbounds play. Twice they got shots off but neither would drop for the home side in a thrilling finish.
A close contest looked highly unlikely when St Kent’s raced to a 19-5 first quarter lead – three triples from Russo-Nance in the period.
MAGS established a foothold in the game in the second period but were still 40-26 adrift at half-time.
That all changed after the break as Keil, the former Lynfield College guard, enjoying an outstanding first Premier League outing scored 14 points in the quarter. When Morgan Aiono, returning from injury, knocked down a three MAGS were just two points down (52-50) with ten minutes to play.
Leger scored 11 points in the fourth and Keil took his tally close to 30 but the dependable duo of Kazlo Evans and Russo-Nance steadied St Kent’s. George Turner and Caleb Mattison also made important buckets to see the visitors home but it was mighty close!
MAGS 72 – Keil 28, Harri Coker-Grey 13, Will Leger 13/11r, Morgan Aiono 9
St Kentigern 73 – Russo-Nance 38, Evans 24, Kaea Rangiehaeata 5
A storming second half display carried Auckland Grammar to a convincing 103-84 win at Westlake Boys.
With the scores locked at 51 apiece at the interval it appeared we were in for a tight battle in the second half.
Christian Martin and Liam Spencer began the third period brightly but Grammar were beginning to gain momentum – 10 points in the quarter from skipper Luka Vea and a brace of threes from Josh Muggleston gave the visitors a 74-64 three-quarter time lead.
Hamza Zahran and Martin scored with identical And-1 plays to keep the deficit at 10 points but from there Grammar scored 14 unanswered points with the play of the game a feature of the run. Toby Caldwell gathered up a loose ball in his own half and with a no look behind the head pass found Vea for the run-away dunk.
Caleb Landon and Jamal Todd pushed the lead out to 25 points and although Harry Barnard posted some late points for Westlake it was a Theo Brothers triple that capped a fine all-round performance from AGS.
Westlake 84 – Martin 20, Zahran 16, Spencer 16, Barnard 10, Boston Caldwell 8
AGS 103 – Vea 26, Landon 19, Todd 19, Muggleston 15, Caldwell 9, Cody Brown 8
Three days after posting 36 points against Auckland Grammar Tom Beattie extended his career best tally to 44 points as Rosmini College held off St Peter’s College for an 83-73 away win.
The two teams scored 12 points apiece in the opening period before Rosmini edged to a 37-33 half-time lead with Pita Maxwell-Topia’s triple aiding the visitors cause.
Jack Donnelly scored 33 points the last time the two teams met and the St Peter’s guard threatened that mark again, as along with Scott Errey and Dorian Sula, the home team closed the third quarter adrift 60-53.
Andrei Manio chimed in with a couple of baskets for St Peters but Beattie and Jameer Reed held the hosts at bay to secure a Rosmini win.
St Peter’s 73 – Donnelly 29, Sula 16, Errey 13
Rosmini 83 – Beattie 44, Kane Murphy 13, Maxwell-Topia 11, Reed 10
Head Coach Kenny Stone gave plenty of court time to his bench players as Rangitoto College beat Liston College 95-49.
Rookie guard Baxter Riley made the most of the opportunity scoring 22 points. The tone was set early on as nine Rangi players got on the scoresheet as they raced to a 36-5 lead.
Liston responded in the second quarter as Deon Helu and Dhon Lao found scoring a little easier.
Rangi weren’t finished with Jacob Fotu working his way to a double-double (15 points and 10 rebounds) and Zoran Sladoja posting 12 points.
Eight wins on the bounce for Rangitoto!
Rangitoto 95 – Baxter 22, Fotu 15/10r, Sladoja 12, Zeke Priest 11, Ethan Skelton 10
Liston 49 – Lao 9, Helu 9, Sebastian Alan 8, Peseti Ma’afu 8
Premier League Standings
- Rangitoto
6-2 St Kentigern
5-3 Westlake, AGS, Rosmini
2-6 MAGS
1-7 St Peter’s
0-8 Liston
LACEY LOWDOWN 