May 13, 2023
The three North Shore schools in Prems hosted opponents from across the Harbour Bridge in Round 2 fixtures with only Rosmini College able protect home court advantage – Mt Albert Grammar and Auckland Grammar securing valuable road victories.
Westlake Boys appeared to be doing likewise at three-quarter time leading Auckland Grammar 66-57.
However the hosts succumbed to a fourth quarter onslaught from Grammar and in particular Ryan Hunt. The AGS skipper, on his way to a game high 34 points, dropped 18 in the fourth quarter as his team piled on 31 points in the period to win 89-78.
Even at the mid-point of the fourth, after a couple of three-point makes from Andre Bautista, Westlake appeared in control as they retained a double figure lead.
However, Roman Ma’afu- Moerua and Lisione Tupou kick started the revival before Hunt took charge of proceedings to propel AGS to a second straight win.
Eight quick points from Max Riechelmann had helped Westlake to a 19-16 quarter time lead before the two teams split 48 points in a free scoring second stanza.
Sharp shooter Bautista added to his tally and Pelu Figotoa scored 6 third quarter-points as Westlake wrestled the initiative to carry a nine point lead into the final ten minutes.
However it wasn’t enough to hold off Hunt and Co.
Westlake 78 – Bautista 25, Figota 13, Riechelmann 9, Noah Rasmussan 7, Malachi Book 7
AGS 89 – Hunt 34, Josh Howes 15, Ma’afu- Moerua 12, Brigham Hakaraia 8, Tupou 7
Rosmini College got the better of St Peter’s downing last year’s Senior A champions 91-61.
Gus Dallow opened the scoring for the visitors before Zion Anderson and Chris Wyllie quickly pushed Rosmini into a double digit lead – the quarter-time advantage 27-15.
The second quarter began the same as the first with Dallow making the initial points but that was a prelude to a 12-0 Rosmini run – 6 of those to Noah Johns.
Luke Thompson replied with consecutive buckets for St Peter’s before Anderson again went to work inside. Dallow made a tough off balance buzzer beater to take his first half tally to 16 points but Anderson’s 18 helped Rosmini to a significant 44-25 half-time lead.
Milan Tolich started to find his scoring touch for the Saints after the break although Rosmini were taking the game away from them as they progressed their scoring in threes. Josh Batty made three consecutive shots from behind the arc, Matty Dalton netted from deep also, while Liam Bates and Jameer Reed both made And-1 plays.
Rosmini led 71-38 at three-quarter time and although St Peter’s had the best of the later exchanges the result was never in doubt.
Rosmini 91 – Anderson 23, Batty 14, C Wyllie 11, Bates 10, Johns 10, Dalton 9, Reed 9
St Peter’s 61 – Dallow 19, Tolich 17, Thompson 9, Bryan Marsters 7
A couple of triples from Kade Cartwright and 10 points from Louis Uri got Mt Albert Grammar off to a flying start at Rangitoto College.
Up 25-6 at quarter time MAGS posted another couple of dozen points in the second with Uri taking his tally into the twenties and Ethan Lay and Harri Coker-Grey scoring from deep.
Ahead 49-15 at half-time MAGS were in no mood to take their foot off the gas adding another 31 points in the third – Cartwright and Dante Matakatea sharing 16 of those.
On a night when Rangi struggled to make shots Joel Brown was a shining light with 10 points.
Rangitoto 33 – Brown 10, Elyas Taher 6, Jimmy Kim 5
MAGS 91 – Uri 25, Cartwright 20, Coker-Grey 15/6 assists, Romani Keith-Peraua 14, Matakatea 13/11 rebounds, Ethan Lay 6, Dante Tapula’aia 11 rebounds
Preston Tuaputa scored a game high 24 points for Sacred Heart College but it was St Kentigern College that won the East Auckland clash 70-63.
It was close throughout with St Kent’s carrying a 50-46 lead into the three-quarter-time break. Tuaputa did his best to get Sacred Heart the W with 8 last quarter points, and Matt Fautuaalii-Taia chimed in with 6, but Merrick Rillstone saved his best until last.
Only having arrived back in the country on Friday morning, after attending the NBA Academy Asia Development Camp in Singapore, Rillstone scored 12 fourth quarter points to steer St Kent’s to the narrow victory.
Earlier Hunter Te Ratana dropped three triples to give the visitors a 17-13 quarter-time advantage.
Sacred Heart edged the second frame by a single point with triples from Jerome Jakeman and Matt Fautuaalii-Taia helping reduce the deficit to 32-29 at the interval.
The third period was also won by a single point although this time it was St Kentigern that shaded it. George Turner and Te Ratana shared 14 points for the visitors with Fautuaalii-Taia, Tyrell Cocker and Tuaputa the go-to men for Heart.
St Kent’s led 50-46 with ten minutes to play and by 13 points inside the last minute. Despite Heart narrowing the deficit to single digits it was Rillstone, shaking off the effects of jet lag, that had the decisive say.
Sacred Heart 63 – Tuaputa 24, Fautuaalii-Taia 16, Cocker 10, Jerome Jakeman 6
St Kentigern 70 – Te Ratana 20, Rillstone 16, Turner 16, Charlie Hughes 8
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