Rangitoto College were hoping it would be third time lucky against Dilworth School but it wasn’t to be as they fell 92-73 in the Auckland Secondary Schools Boys Senior A Grand Final at Eventfinda Stadium on Friday.
Beaten twice in regular season play Rangitoto appeared undaunted in the opening minutes as Kyle Buenaflor sunk a pair of threes.
However Dilworth finished the opening spell with four consecutive triples, courtesy of Ezrah Eagle, Kape Hoeta, George Hardie and KC Ioane to forge a 28-17 advantage.
Eagle, on his way to a game high 27 points, scored 9 second quarter points and although Nikau Huggins drained a brace of threes the Rangi deficit was 16 points (48-32) at the half way point.
The early exchanges of the third stanza went the way of Rangi with Max Mudford and Buenaflor combining to reduce the margin to ten points.
Eagle and Ioane then strung together a collective 15 points as Dilworth doubled their lead to take a stranglehold on the contest with ten minutes to play – their advantage 73-53.
William Cheng and Michael Ropotini kept the score ticking over for Rangi but Kingston Kailahi-Ale and Eagle ensured their would be no late dramas for the regular season champions.
The result means Dilworth will face Mt Roskill Grammar in one promotion/relegation game next year while Rangitoto will match up with Sacred Heart College. More pressing will be the upcoming National Qualifying Tournament in September.
Dilworth 92 – Eagle 27, Ioane 22, Kailahi-Aso 20, Hardie 14, Hoeta 6
Rangitoto 73 – Buenaflor 18, Cheng 16, Mudford 13, Ropotini 10, Huggins 8
LACEY LOWDOWN 