In Round 4 of Auckland Secondary Schools Girls Premier Grade action on Monday night we saw three games decided by 10 points or less with the closest match being at Mt Albert Grammar School where the home side edged Epsom Girls Grammar School 73-70.
A much improved performance from Epsom Girls, with Draun Forbes scoring 33 points, came close to a first win of the season before eventually going down 73-70.
Epsom were ahead 41-39 at half-time but trailed 58-57 at the three-quarter mark.
Forbes and Savanna Feite kept Epsom in the hunt in the fourth but two triples from Peyton Uri and 7 points from Meiya Lemafa saw MAGS to the win. Lemafa finished with a double-double of 28 points and 13 rebounds while Gianna Tiatia posted 14 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals.
MAGS 73 – Lemafa 28, G Tiatia 14, Uri 13, Emina Tiatia 8, Te Arini Roberts 7
EGGS 70 – Forbes 33, Feite 11, Olivia Edhouse 8, Ivy Tino 7
There was also a close encounter further south where Manurewa High School pulled away in the closing minutes to defeat Northcote College 72-66.
Northcote, with DJ Hannah, Lily Morgan, Lisa Gear and Abby Allan in double figures, were well in contention throughout before Manurewa edged home in the final minutes.
Three points ahead (49-46) at three-quarter time Manurewa held off the Northcote challenge with 23 points in the final ten minutes – scores from Taisha Tanira, Waimihi Hetaraka-Brown and Shirley Tuilimu down the stretch sealing victory.
Manurewa 72 – T Tanira 24, E Tanira 15, Tuilimu 13, Beautiful Campbell 11
Northcote 66 – Hannah 19, Gear 17, Morgan 13, Allan 11
There was an upset on the cards at Westlake when on the back of a Bailey Flavell three Takapuna Grammar led the hosts 43-39 at the back end of the third period.
An Imani Rasmussen block and rebound enabled Westlake to score in transition on the next possession before the rangy forward then scored herself to put the defending champions back in front.
Soon after Amy McKenzie knocked down a three from all of two metres beyond the arc meaning Takapuna were still in the hunt at three-quarter time trailing 56-50.
The chances of an upset result faded in the final period as Westlake found fourth gear for the first time in the match pulling 19 points clear with Zenthia Stowers scoring 11 points in the frame.
Flavell, Carmen Selby and Adeline Lee reduced the arears – a 10-point loss a truer reflection of the commendable Takapuna performance.
Westlake 79 – Stowers 20, Emma Schroeder 19, Kodee Williams-Sefo 14, Rasmussen 13
Takapuna 69 – Flavell 28, McKenzie 13, Mania Watson 9, Natalja Burton 8, Amelia Glenn 7
In the final game of the round St Kentigern College returned to winning ways with a 91-69 home win against Rangitoto College.
The catalyst for the St Kent’s win were the performances of Kilani Tuineau and Ashleigh Tuumaialu who posted 29 points and 34 respectively – both I think were career high scoring performances.
Both players were in double figures by half-time – Tuumaialu scoring 21 consecutive points at one stage – as St Kent’s racked up 55 points to lead by 22 at the interval.
Eva Veale led something of a Rangitoto recovery as they were able to share the spoils in the second half (36-36) ahead of a North Shore derby against Takapuna Grammar.
St Kentigern 91 – A Tuumaialu 34, Tuineau 29, Charlie Yock 13, Jorja Dixon 12
Rangitoto 69 – Veale 21, Maddy Skelton 12, Mela Andrews 11, Kyree Rakena 8, Sienna Maurice 8
Standings:
4-0 Westlake
3-1 St Kentigern, Takapuna
2-2 Rangitoto, Manurewa, MAGS
1-3 Northcote
0-4 Epsom
LACEY LOWDOWN 