Round 11 of the Auckland Secondary Schools Girls Premier Grade, played on Monday night, again featured just three games with Westlake Girls High away at the ISF World School Basketball Championships in Macao, China.
Westlake deserve massive congratulations for taking out the bronze medal at the event.
They recorded wins against Chile, Hong Kong, Macao and India in pool play followed by a quarter final victory over Bulgaria.
Lake were then beaten 64-40 by France in the semi-finals before claiming bronze with a 64-35 demolition of Hong Kong.
Now back to the Premier Grade where St Kentigern College returned to winning ways, Northcote College made it successive victories and Epsom Girls chalked up win number two.
The individual performance of the round was on display at Rangitoto College where St Kentigern forward Kilani Tuineau posted a career high 40 points in a 73-69 win.
Tuineau put Rangi on notice with 15 first quarter points and with Charlie Yock adding 8 St Kent’s were off to a flyer with a 25-12 lead.
Takapuna made the necessary adjustments in the second period and with Eva Veale leading the way the deficit was just 7 points (35-28) at half-time.
Yock and Tuineau continued to punish the Rangi defence in the third frame as they combined for all but one of St Kent’s 17 points. However at the other end Veale, Mela Andrews and Moananui Wynyard were causing headaches for St Kent’s enabling Rangi to take a 54-52 advantage into the three-quarter time break.
Andrews and Veale scored half a dozen each in the final quarter but down the stretch Manawa Rogers, Mischa McLister and Rosie Ward made important contributions as St Kent’s sealed the road win.
St Kent’s 73 – Tuineau 40, Yock 15, McLister 7
Rangitoto 69 – Veale 26, Andrews 22, Maddison Skelton 9, Wynyard 6
At Northcote College the hosts put together a strong fourth quarter performance to outlast Manurewa High for a 77-66 victory.
Northcote led by just four points at three-quarter time (56-52) but were looking nervously over their shoulder as the Shirley Tuilimu (26 points) inspired visitors looked ready to pounce.
However a brace of threes from Misha Aitchison plus 11 points from Lisa Gear propelled Northcote to a 21-14 fourth quarter effort to seal success.
Northcote won all four quarters but the first three were extremely tight. The opener was won 17-15, the second 20-19 and the third 19-18.
For Northcote Gear was in full throttle with 23 points, DJ Hannah scored 20, Aitchison 16 and Lily Morgan 10 points.
After Tuilimu’s 26 points Taisha Tanira was the other Manurewa player in double figures scoring 14 points.
Northcote 77 – Gear 23, Hannah 20, Aitchison 16, Morgan 10, Ema Lavemaau 6
Manurewa 66 – Tuilimu 26, T Tanira 14, Bella Manu-Moore 7, Waimihi Hetaraka-Brown 7, Emily Tanira 6
In the third game of the round Epsom Girls Grammar prevailed 54-52 against Mt Albert Grammar in a contest that could have gone either way.
Six opening quarter points from Meiya Lemafa helped MAGS take the opening period 14-12 before a triple from Samantha Jose and 11 points from Draun Forbes enabled Epsom to carve out a 31-24 half-time advantage.
Only 15 points were scored in the third but with Epsom carrying a 38-32 lead into the fourth the pace quickened.
Peyton Uri knocked down a three for MAGS with Kiyara Te Amo – making her fourth three of the contest – returning in kind for Epsom.
Baskets from Phoenix Kaipo and Gianna Tiatia brought MAGS right back into the contest with the difference just a single point.
Overtime looked a distinct possibility until Savana Feite chose an opportune time to make her only basket of the game – a three – to win a thriller for Epsom.
Epsom 54 –Forbes 22, Te Amo 14, Kiki Reti 5, Jose 5
MAGS 52 – Lemafa 14, Uri 14, E Tiatia 9, Kaipo 7, G Tiatia 6
Standings:
10-0 Westlake
7-3 Takapuna
6-5 Manurewa
6-4 St Kentigern
5-6 Rangitoto
4-7 Northcote
2-8 MAGS
2-9 Epsom
*Mt Albert Grammar v St Kentigern College postponed to term 3.
*Takapuna Grammar v Westlake Girls postponed to term 3
LACEY LOWDOWN 