Epsom Girls Grammar completed the double over Westlake Girls High with a narrow 73-69 road win. The victory means that Epsom now have the head-to-head split on Westlake should the two teams have an equal win-loss record when the regular season concludes.
A tight contest throughout Epsom made the marginally better start to lead 22-18 with 9 points from Draun Forbes cancelling out the same number from Zenthia Stowers.
The scoring slowed in the second period – Forbes and Rebecca Moors the most prominent as the teams turned around at half-time with Epsom 34-31 in the lead.
Moors reeled off 13 third quarter points as the scores became locked at 50 points apiece with ten minutes to play.
Moors and Amy Pateman scored all 19 of Westlake’s fourth quarter points but they couldn’t hold off the visitors. Maya Fowler nailed a brace of threes before she, Leah Patuwairua, Savana Feite and Forbes held their collective nerve at the foul line to close out an exciting Epsom win.
Westlake 69 – Moors 29, Pateman 17, Stowers 14, Lily Fotu 6
EGGS 73 – Forbes 22, Patuwairua 16, Fowler 8, Feite 8, Talia Vea 7
Takapuna Grammar, paced by Bailey Flavell’s 38 points, emerged as genuine top four contenders after a strong fourth quarter showing earned them a 76-57 win against Shore neighbours Northcote College.
Northcote led 35-31 at half-time and were still in front 48-47 after a Lisa Gear drive and finish deep into the third quarter.
However back-to-back baskets from Flavell and a buzzer beater from Manaia Watson saw Takapuna take a 53-48 lead into the three-quarter time break.
The Watson and Flavell combination worked again on the resumption ahead of DJ Hannah and Nikki Gear scores – the Taka advantage 56-52 with 6 minutes to play.
From there it was all Takapuna as they closed the contest with a 20-5 run. Fifteen of those points went the way of Flavell who shifted through the gears in the final quarter.
Also in good touch for Takapuna were Amy Mckenzie (12 points), Watson (10 points) and newcomer Nahikari Illarramendi who contributed 13 points and a good dose of game awareness.
Lily Morgan led the way for Northcote with 18 points while Nikki Gear was also in double figures with a dozen.
Takapuna 76 – Flavell 38, Illarramendi 13, McKenzie 12, Watson 10
Northcote 57 – Morgan 18, N Gear 12, L Gear 8, Lizzy May 7
Wai Clarken scored 28 points as Mt Albert Grammar continued their pursuit of a top-two finish with a 57-49 win at St Kentigern College.
Despite 8 points from Ash Tuumaialu triples from Clarken and Phoenix Kaipo helped MAGS establish a 20-15 lead after ten minutes.
Anamia Rangihaeata nailed a three for the hosts but 6 points from Clarken saw MAGS through to a narrow 26-23 half-time lead.
The difference was still just three points at the end of the third period (45-42). Nia Roberts scored 7 points in the quarter for MAGS while Maia Bennett tallied 9 for St Kent’s.
An exciting fourth quarter looked in prospect but the St Kent’s challenge faded as they were held to just 5 points in the closing frame. Siena-Rose Tawera and Gianna Tiatia combined for a dozen points to close out win number nine for MAGS.
St Kentigern 49 – Tuumaialu 17, Bennett 12, Rangihaeata 10
MAGS 57 – Clarken 28, Tiatia 8, Roberts 7, Tawera 6
Baradene College suffered few alarms as they overcame St Mary’s College 76-35.
Christiana Setu led the way for St Mary’s with 10 points while for Baradene Ritorya Tamilo, Deyna Topia, Amelia Nathen and Poppy Cavanagh-Briggs were each in double figures.
Baradene 76 – Topia 18, Tamilo 17, Nathan 16, Cavanagh-Briggs 11, Daisy Parke 6
St Mary’s 35 – Setu 10, Eva Tuala 6, Tamzin Jakeman 6
Standings
10-2 Westlake, Epsom
9-3 MAGS
6-6 Takapuna
5-7 St Kent’s
4-8 Baradene
3-9 Northcote
1-10 St Mary’s
LACEY LOWDOWN 