There may still be four rounds to play of the Girl’s Auckland Secondary Schools Premier League but barring upsets the top-four teams look to have secured semi-final berths.
Westlake Girls High remain unbeaten but they were given a stern workout by Epsom Girls Grammar before closing out a 70-60 win.
It was all Lake in the early stages as they established a 25-10 lead.
Good to see Izzy Pugh back in scoring mode, the Westlake forward mustering 12 points by the interval and with Shonnie Leiatua scoring all her 8 points in the half the hosts were up 40-26.
Epsom replied strongly in the third as Flo Dallow, Sarah Joy Aruwa, Lizzy Brocklehurst and Maya Fowler all landed from deep to keep Westlake in sight. 57-49 to Lake with ten minutes to play.
Scoring became an issue for both teams in the fourth but another 6 points from Pugh and a trey from Makenzee Boucher saw Westlake across the line.
Westlake 70 – Pugh 22, Boucher 13, Simone Barnard 11, Leiatua 8
Epsom 60 – Dallow 21, Aruwa 18, Fowler 7, Lauryn Hunt 7
The closest game of the round was at St Mary’s College where the hosts came from behind to defeat Mt Albert Grammar 59-45.
The two teams split 26 points in the opening ten minutes but it was MAGS that held the lead (42-35) at half-time as Tiger-Lily Cocker-Lemalie and Waimanu Clarken amassed a combined 29 points.
Danika Manase scored all her 11 points in the third quarter and with Faith Ualika chipping in with 6 fortunes had changed and St Mary’s were 42-35 to the good.
Having kept MAGS to just 7 points in the third St Mary’s only gave up a further 10 in the fourth as the defensive clamps were kept firmly in place.
Nine fourth quarter points from Kodee Sefo ensured a St Mary’s victory – their seventh of the season ahead of a clash with Westlake next Friday.
St Mary’s 59 – Sefo 13, Ualika 11, Manase 11, Trinity Atiga 8
MAGS 45 – Cocker-Lemalie 20, Clarken 17
Baradene College remain hot on the heels of Westlake after registering a straight forward 88-32 home win against Carmel College.
Deyna Topia and Lilly Parke were both close to double figures in the first as the hosts charged to a 27-4 lead.
Jemma Cammell did her best to stem the Baradene points flow but it was to little avail as the hosts had doubled their tally by half-time (54-16).
Baradene had five players in double figures as they registered win number nine of the season.
Baradene 88 – Parke 32, Ritorya Tamilo 14, Topia 11, Poppy Cavannagh-Briggs11, Harriett Burrell 10
Carmel 32 – Cammell 17, Katie Linstrom 4
Rangitoto College secured a valuable away win defeating Massey High School 87-58 with Aroha Riley and Kellie Tawhaio the chief destroyers.
Tawhaio posted a double-double of 27 points and 10 rebounds while Riley added 6 steals to a game high 32 points, making 6 from 13 from beyond the three-point arc.
Rangitoto scored 29 points in each of the first two periods to lead 58-32 at half-time extending their advantage to 74-41 at three-quarter time.
It’s a quick turnaround for Massey as they are back in action on Monday against Epsom.
Massey 58
Rangitoto 87 – Riley 32, Tawhaio 27, Tamsin McAsey 12, Zaara Sain 8
Premier League Standings
10-0 Westlake
9-1 Baradene
7-3 St Mary’s
6-3 Epsom
3-7 MAGS, Rangitoto
1-8 Massey
1-9 Carmel
*Massey v Epsom scheduled for July 5
LACEY LOWDOWN 