21 May 2023
In a high paced, quality encounter Westlake Girls outlasted visitors Mt Albert Grammar to win 86-80 and register a third straight game.
One of the highlights of the contest was the matchup between 2022 U17 New Zealand internationals Wai Clarken and Amy Pateman. The opposing captains were at the centre of the action with Clarken scoring a career high 40 points for MAGS and Pateman a season best 31 for Westlake.
MAGS made the slightly better start with Jorjia Fiu and Nadia-Rosa Enari prominent as they forged a 14-9 lead. However rookies Katie Moors and Imani Rasmussen had an immediate impact off the bench for Westlake as they took a narrow 25-23 lead into the quarter time break.
The second quarter was tied 22 points apiece with Pateman and Lily Fotu to the fore for Westlake and Clarken getting valuable assistance from Fiu and Te Arina Roberts.
Fiu and Clarken shared all 13 of the MAGS points in the third period but with Emma Schroeder tallying 9 points and Rasmussen and Pateman chipping in with scores the hosts had a 70-58 lead at three-quarter time.
The fourth quarter became a shoot-out between Pateman and Schroeder in the red corner and Clarken and Fiu in the blue corner. The foursome scored 36 of the 38 points scored in the quarter with the reds of Westlake just doing enough to hold off the MAGS challenge.
Westlake 86 – Pateman 31, Schroeder 21, Fotu 11, Moors 7, Rasmussen 6, Kalei Morgan-Tafea 6
MAGS 80 – Clarken 40, Fiu 20, Enari 10, Roberts 7
For the third straight game Northcote College were extremely competitive but couldn’t quite get the W going down 68-58 at St Kentigern College.
A three from Anamia Rangihaeata and 6 points from Ash Tuumaialu propelled St Kent’s to a 19-7 quarter time lead.
The hosts scored another 19 in the second period but smarting from their slow start Northcote tallied 23 to trail 38-30 at half-time. Lizzy May scored 10 second quarter points for Northcote with Tuumaialu making 9 points for St Kent’s.
The scoring slowed in the third with just 12 points apiece posted. Lily Morgan and Nikki Gear made all of the Northcote points – Tuumaialu and Rangihaeata all the St Kent’s scores.
Morgan and Gear continued to trouble the St Kent’s defence but the hosts enjoyed a greater spread of scorers as Gigi Forster and Sophie Jones complimented the scoring supply provided by Tuumaialu and Rangihaeata to close out the win.
St Kentigern 68 – Tuumaialu 26, Rangihaeata 14, Forster 10, Jones 8
Northcote 58 – N Gear 25, Morgan 14, May 12
Fresh of her time at the Tall Ferns Trial Camp Ritorya Tamilo proved the difference maker, scoring 26 points, as Baradene College pipped Epsom Girls Grammar 57-53.
It was Baradene with the superior start – 7 points from Poppy Cavanagh-Briggs helping them establish as 17-13 quarter time lead.
Epsom trimmed the deficit by a point in the second quarter with Maya Fowler and Savana Feite leading the way.
Despite missing two starters Epsom took charge of proceedings in the third quarter with Fowler and Kiyara Te Amo, deputising at point guard, helping them to a 46-42 three-quarter time lead.
Talia Vea’s three kept Epsom briefly in the ascendancy but Tamilo was the dominant force in the final frame scoring 9 points to secure Baradene a second win of the season and match Epsom’s 2-1 start to the season.
Epsom 53 – Fowler 15, Vea 13, Feite 8, Te Amo 7
Baradene 57 – Tamilo 26, Cavanagh-Briggs 16, Amelia Nathan 6
Beginning the game wearing #31 Amy McKenzie finished the contest matching her singlet number with a season best 31 points to propel Takapuna Grammar School to their first win of the season – a 77-47 victory at St Mary’s College.
The Takapuna guard scored 8 points as the visitors raced to a 22-7 lead at the ten minute mark.
McKenzie and Bailey Flavell landed triples in the second period as Taka established a 37-18 half-time advantage.
St Mary’s improved markedly after the break – 7 third quarter points from India Nash and other scores from Teulila Salesa and Tamzin Jakeman meant the spoils were shared evenly at 18 points apiece in the period.
Takapuna dominated proceedings in the final frame with Anna Dyachenko, Carmen Selby, Natalja Burton and Flavell complimenting the fine work of McKenzie.
St Mary’s 47 – Nash 17, Salesa 9, Jakeman 7, Christiana Setu 6
Takapuna 77 – McKenzie 31, Flavell 19, Dyachenko 9, Burton 6
LACEY LOWDOWN 