22 July, 2023
After the conclusion of Round 10 fixtures the top four, and therefore semi-finalists, of the Auckland Secondary Schools Boy’s Premier Grade have almost been finalised.
Mt Albert Grammar and Rosmini College are assured of semi-final berths with St Kentigern College and Auckland Grammar just a win away from joining them.
The St Kentigern College post Aaron Young era got off to a successful start as they eased to a 97-56 win at Rangitoto College.
Young’s successful eight year tenure as Head Coach – one that included the 2019 Secondary Schools National Championship crown – has come to an end due to his assistant coach appointments with the Tall Blacks and Perth Wildcats.
St Kent’s got off to a flyer with a 28-15 opening salvo – 9 points for George Turner amongst the rush of points.
Arnold Nam and Joel Brown were soon into double figures for Rangi but were powerless to stop the flow of points at the other end. Hunter Te Ratana and Charlie Hughes helping St Kent’s forge a 54-27 half-time lead.
Rangi made a much improved showing in the third with Jackson Mills and Nam threes complimenting half a dozen points from Brown.
The visitors reasserted their dominance in the final quarter as Noah Heke and Frankie Groves rounded out a strong St Kent’s performance.
Incoming St Kent’s Head Coach Val Te Ratana has win number one on the board!
Rangitoto 56 – Brown 22, Nam 14, Elyas Taher 10, Mills 6
St Kentigern 97 – Turner 18, Merrick Rillstone 18, Te Ratana 15, Groves 12, Heke 9, Hughes 9
With the triumvirate of Dante Matakatea, Louis Uri and Harri Coker-Grey enjoying 20-point outings Mt Albert Grammar School remain unbeaten after an 89-68 win against Westlake Boys High.
Max Riechelmann scored 8 first quarter points for Westlake although Matakatea notched 11 for MAGS who edged the opening period 20-17.
It was equally as close in the second stanza. Three point plays from Kade Cartwright and Coker-Grey were countered by Troy Wentworth and Gabriel Ames as Westlake refused to go away, trailing by just five points at half-time (40-35).
Harper Wilson and Noah Rasmussen helped the Westlake cause although a flurry of points from Matakatea and Coker-Grey – the pair combined to score the last 16 points in the quarter for MAGS as they led 64-54 ahead of the last quarter.
Hadi Alshami made a couple of inside baskets for Lake but a dozen points from Uri in the fourth, ensured a tenth straight wins for MAGS.
MAGS 89 – Matakatea 27, Uri 26, Coker-Grey 20, Cartwright 8
Westlake 68 – Ames 14, Riechelmann 11, Alshami 11, Wilson 10
A blistering opening quarter at Sacred Heart College saw the home team put on 31 points to set the tone for an emphatic 93-70 win – their second win of the campaign – against St Peter’s College. A dozen of those points were scored by Preston Tuaputa while Tyrell Cocker chimed in with eleven.
Sixteen points adrift, St Peter’s were much improved in the second period – 17 points from Spencer Carr meant they turned around 53-38 adrift at half-time.
In a low scoring third quarter a couple of scores from Bryan Marsters were trumped by 7 points from Sam Snowdon as Heart carried a 66-50 lead into the last frame.
Bailey Smith, Luke Thompson and Caleb Afeaki knocked down threes for the visitors but 13 fourth quarter points from Matt Fautuaalii-Taia, the leading scorer in the game, ensured there were no late dramas for Heart.
Sacred Heart 93 – Fautuaalii-Taia 21, Snowdon 16, Tuaputa 15, Cocker 15, Jamie Vile 10
St Peter’s 70 – Carr 22, Thompson 11, Gus Dallow 11
In the closest contest of the round Rosmini College eked out an 85-75 home victory against Auckland Grammar School despite a game high 23 points from Ryan Hunt.
The Grammar skipper had 7 points in the opening period and with Jackson Kiss nabbing 8 points the visitors led 26-24 at quarter time.
A couple of triples from Chris Wyllie were much needed for Rosmini to counter 8 points from Hunt – Grammar ahead 43-39 at half-time.
Rosmini advanced their score by threes in the third as Josh Batty, Noah Johns, Josh and Chris Wyllie all converted from deep. However Roera Tipene, Kiss and Hunt combined to keep the scoreboard ticking for the visitors, their lead still four points (66-62) with ten to play.
A scoring burst initiated by Zion Anderson and Liam Bates pushed Rosmini into the lead, one they protected successfully down the stretch.
A contest that saw 61 fouls called, and six players foul out, eventually went the way of Rosmini as they made the most of frequent trips to the free throw line.
Rosmini 85 – J Wyllie 18, C Wyllie 17, Anderson 13, Bart Jackowski 11, Batty 8
AGS 75 – Hunt 23, Kiss 16, Kalid Petzer 8, Tipene 7, Roman Ma’afu-Moerua 7
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Standings
10-0 MAGS
8-2 Rosmini
7-3 St Kentigern, AGS
4-6 Westlake
2-8 Rangitoto, Sacred Heart
0-10 St Peter’s
LACEY LOWDOWN 
Hi Mike
By way of introduction I am a basketball junkie based on Christchurch and amongst other things involved with the high school basketball scene.
At present there is poor coverage of the Thomson & Whelan Trophy comps down here and whilst 2023 season drawing to a close would like to develop a platform for greater publicity moving forward.
With your content on the Auckland comps do you seek out this content from people at each game or rely on scoresheets, video footage etc.
Appreciate your assistance and insights as the Lacey Lowdown is something I’d like to replicate for our comps.
Thanks.
Kelvin Fisher ________________________________