The Auckland Secondary Schools Premier Grade Grand Final next Thursday will be between Auckland Grammar School and Rosmini College after AGS defeated Westlake 78-56 and Rosmini overcame Rangitoto College 88-65 in semi-final ties at Eventfinda Stadium on Friday.
St Peter’s remain undefeated in Senior A after downing Manurewa High 76-59 and now face Avondale College in the championship game after they prevailed 90-77 against Northcote College
Due to my commitments to the Women’s D League (Saturday) and Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa (Sunday) the wrap on the semi-finals is in a little less detail than normal.
Auckland Grammar were locked in defensively holding Westlake to 18 points at half-time to lead by 15 points.
Westlake failed to break the shackles in the third, the contest settled by the three-quarter mark with Grammar ahead 58-30.
Hamza Zahran scored 16 points but it was an offensive struggle all game for Lake. Grammar were ably led by Josh Muggleston – 26 points, including 6 triples, for the industrious guard.
AGS 78 – Muggleston 26, Cody Brown 16, Blake Manning 11, Ryan Hunt 9, Will Shortt 6
Westlake 56 – Zahran 16, Rocco Chang 12, Daniel Ottenhoff 8
Rangitoto College made the early running against Rosmini College with Jacob Fotu and Tautoko Wynyard doing damaging inside work – 9 points ahead in the middle of the second and still 4 up at half-time (39-35).
Rosmini blew the game open either side of the three-quarter time break. Tom Beattie and Charlie Dalton were the catalyst behind a 28-2 run that settled the contest.
Rosmini 88 – Beattie 34, Dalton 29, Julius Halaifonua 9, Kane Murphy 8
Rangitoto 65 – Wynyard 15, Arnold Nam 15, Fotu 11, Jimmy Kim 9
In Senior A it was Avondale College that prevailed against Northcote College but the 90-77 margin was far less comfortable than the scoreline suggests.
The scores were tied at 67 points apiece early in the fourth and when Aaron Sievert knocked down a trademark three Northcote trailed by a single point inside the final 6 minutes.
A Kabir Bhargava triple was an almost immediate response although at the 2:30 mark the Avondale lead was still only 6 (80-74).
Connor Gleeson’s accuracy from the foul line shepherded Avondale through the closing stages to set up a Grand Final matchup with St Peter’s College.
Avondale 90 – Gleeson 24, Jimitose Iosia-Sipeli 22, Bhargava 21, Andrew Murphy 7, Blaze Phillips 6
Northcote 77 – Sievert 32, Tom Bates 18, Dontaye Sowman-Faaee 16
St Peter’s, led by Scott Errey and Andrei Manio, saw of a spirited Manurewa High challenge before eventually winning 76-59.
Ahead 40-22 at half-time it appeared as if St Peter’s might cruise to a comfortable win but led by NZ U17 rep William Passi – his baseline drive and dunk one of the plays of the day – Manurewa resisted strongly.
They shaded the third period 23-22 and tied the fourth but St Peter’s had done the hard graft in the first half and deservedly preserved their unbeaten record ahead of the Avondale College challenge next Thursday.
St Peter’s 76 – Manio 27, Errey 20, Luke Thompson 10, Bailey Smith 8
Manurewa 59 – William Passi 14, Alex Hughes 10, Brian Tapu 10, Richard Campbell 10, Ryan Ancha 6
LACEY LOWDOWN 