The opening round of the Auckland Secondary Schools Boys Premier Grade games saw big wins for Auckland Grammar, Rosmini College and Westlake Boys while Rangitoto College won the game of the round against Mt Albert Grammar
Rangitoto College v Mt Albert Grammar at Rangitoto.
The good news for Rangitoto College fans, but less welcoming news for opponents, is that Tautoko Wynyard is back! The Rangi centre has endured two years of injury setbacks but on Friday night announced his return with a double-double of 25 points and 13 rebounds.
It is as well that he was in top form as Mt Albert Grammar pushed the hosts all the way before going down 73-69.
MAGS won the opening quarter by 4, lost the second by 5, the third by I and tied the fourth to emphasise what a close, enthralling contest it was.
The early scoring was dominated by Zeke Priest and Wynyard for the home side and Victor Keil and Luke Matthews for MAGS as the two teams went basket for basket.
Dante Matakatea scored 8 points in the second quarter for the visitors but scores from Jacob Fotu and Soane Abraham edged Rangi ahead 38-35 at the break.
Matakatea, Keil and Harri Coker-Grey found ways to puncture the Rangi defence while at the other end a Jimmy Kim three and buckets from Michael Ropatini and Fotu gave Rangi a 58-54 three-quarter time advantage.
A three from Priest was answered with a brace of triples from Keil, however it was the front court pairing of Fotu and Wynyard that stood tall and held MAGS at bay for a hard fought win.
Rangitoto 73 – Wynyard 25/13r, Priest 17, Fotu 10
MAGS 69 – Victor Keil 21, Dante Matakatea 19, Coker-Gray 18, Matthews 6
Rosmini College v Sacred Heart College at Rosmini.
Matt Fautuaalii had the distinction of scoring the first Premier League points for Sacred Heart College since 2011 – their last season in the top flight. The fleet footed guard couldn’t afford to dwell on the moment too long as a quick glance at the scoreboard showed Rosmini College had rattled off 12 unanswered points to open proceedings.
Tom Beattie had welcomed the new boys on the block with a baseline drive and dunk on the opening play and with Lucas Schnuriger, Kane Murphy and Charlie Dalton knocking down threes the hosts had a 29-12 advantage after 10 minutes.
Sacred Heart skipper Josh Stewart scored eight of his game high 21 points in the second quarter but threes in the shadows of half-time from Bart Jackowski and Josh Batty, plus inside points from Julius Halaifonua, meant Rozza had a 48-20 lead at half time.
Adam Davies and Stewart scored the opening points of the second half as Heart began to work their way into the contest. They split 28 points with the hosts in the third period and put up 16 points in the fourth to head back east with heads held high and lessons learnt.
Sacred Heart 50 – Stewart 21, Fautuaalii 7, Preston Tuaputa 6
Rosmini 84 – Beattie 17, Halaifonua 14, Dalton 12, Zion Anderson 10, Jameer Reed 9
Saint Kentigern College v Westlake Boys High at St Kentigern.
Westlake Boys High have hit the ground running, or more accurately sprinting, as they rattled up a ton in putting an under strength Saint Kent’s away 118-64.
George Turner knocked down the first 7 points for St Kent’s although 8 points apiece from Rocco Chang and Hamza Zahran gave Westlake a 27-21 quarter time lead.
Down three starters, Saint Kent’s were swimming against the Westlake tide – Jonty Strawbridge and Malachi Book helped the visitors dominate the period to gain a 57-32 half-time lead.
Zahran would go on to garner 24 points and with Ned Shearer matching that tally Lake were in cruise control in the second half.
Turner top scored for the Saints with 19 points, Max Johnson totaled 14 while Luka Ljubisavljevic (10 points) was the other home player in double figures.
On a night when older brother Kainoa was making his NBL debut for Auckland Tuatara young St Kent’s guard Cooper Lepou scored a promising 8 points in his first Prems game.
St Kentigern 64 – Turner 19, Johnson 14, Ljubisavljevic 10, Lepou 8
Westlake 118 – Zahran 24, Shearer 24, Chang 18, Strawbridge 18, Book 13
Auckland Grammar v Liston College at Auckland Grammar.
Two former Tall Blacks BJ Anthony and Lindsay Tait go head to head in the coaching boxes in this one and it will be BJ that will be left most to ponder after Liston College were beaten 117-51 by a rampant Auckland Grammar side.
Cody Brown led the way for Grammar with 28 points and he was well supported by Josh Howes (18 points), Jackson Kiss (14 points) and Josh Muggleston’s 13 points.
Dhon Lao played a fine hand for Liston with 20 points but the next best was Sebastian Alan with 7 points.
The writing was on the wall at quarter time as AGS raced to a 29-3 lead – Muggleston and Brown doing most the damage.
Lao, Deon Helu and Sebastian Alan led a mini Liston revival in the second quarter but Kiss scored the last 8 points of the half for AGS who cantered to a comfortable win.
AGS 107 – Brown 28, Howes 19, Kiss 14, Mugglestone 13, Theo Brothers 8, Ryan Hunt 8
Liston 51 – Lao 20, Alan 7, Marvellous Michael 6
LACEY LOWDOWN 