LACEY LOWDOWN

The Whelan Top Four has now been found, with a tiebreaker being needed for the final position.

Kaiapoi was the big winner on the night in the McDonald’s Whelan Trophy Competition, winning by 27 points over their North Canterbury Neighbours from Rangiora.

Equally important for Kaiapoi’s hopes, Christchurch Girls’ knocked out Middleton Grange 65-52. Despite being down 21-12 at the end of the first quarter, the Gators used balanced scoring from Annabel Lapworth (12), Katie Jo Van den Bogaert (11), Sofia Kennedy (10) and Fia Lai Kong (10), to jump ahead 43-45 at the end of three quarters. CGHS’ Olivia McIntyre (30), Sammy Arnold (13) and Violet Eaton (12) helped spark an 11-0 run to retake the lead, and hung on to finalise their place in the Top Four.

Rangi Ruru and St. Andrew’s join Kaiapoi and Christchurch Girls’ when they battle for semi-final seedings in term Three.

In Division II, Ellesmere welcomed Megan Ellis (Middleton Grange 2017) to their line-up, and dealt Avonside their first defeat of the season, 63-58 – setting up a very interesting last few rounds with four teams (Avonside, Ellesmere, Lincoln, St. Margaret’s) all tied at 6-1. Lincoln High got there by virtue of a comprehensive 83-30 win over Papanui. Kate Herman led the way with 22 points, while her sister Mandy had 14. Samantha McCrone also had a twenty-point game (21) for the winners.

In the Thomson Trophy Ihaia Kendrew had another big scoring week with 36 against the Gators. Hillmorton were able to stay close to Gators through the first half – only down 48-44, with Ihaia Cox-Winiata’s and Jacob Milne’s 10 scoring ten points each. Ben Carlile-Smith (27) with Trey Te Awa (14) and Harry Roth (12) extended the Gators’ lead to 11 after three quarters, and then pushed it out to 18 at the final buzzer, 92-74.

Round Nine at the beginning of term three sets up some compelling games, with Cashmere, Middleton Grange and Shirley Boys’ all guaranteed to make the quarter-finals, only three spots remain to be claimed. Christchurch Boys’, Christ’s College, Rangiora, and St. Andrew’s are all in contention for the final three spaces, with one team guaranteed to be disappointed.

Rangi Ruru and Cashmere High retained the Phil Burns’ and Dowson Cups respectively, with only Rangi Ruru needing to physically take the court against Cashmere to defend the cup. There are no games scheduled over the school holidays, or week one of term three, so Tuesday July 31 is the next date for our competitions to back in earnest.

From James Lissaman

Week Eight Results

Whelan Division II
Ellesmere 63-58 Avonside

Lincoln 83-30 Papanui

Villa Maria 54-25 Marian

Hillmorton 62-33 Burnside

Whelan Division I
St. Andrew’s 76-47 Cashmere

Rangi Ruru 77-41 Cashmere

Kaiapoi 77-48 Rangiora

Christchurch Girls’ 65-52 Middleton Grange

St. Andrew’s 81-57 Ashburton

Thomson Division II
St. Thomas 92-59 Linwood

Ashburton 86-65 Ellesmere

Lincoln 78-76 Rangiora New Life

Riccarton 101-76 Hornby

Cathedral 103-76 Kaiapoi

Thomson Division I
Shirley Boys’ 75-64 Rangiora

Christ’s 85-69 St. Andrew’s

Middleton 92-74 Hillmorton

Cashmere 20-0 Burnside (default)

Rangitoto College entertained Auckland Girls Grammar School on Monday night in a game brought forward from the first week of next term.

A change of date or not it didn’t make any difference to Auckland’s run of success as they racked up their eleventh consecutive victory of the season winning 88-52.

Bella Elgar and Hannah Wentworth scored all of Rangitoto’s points in the opening quarter but with each of their starters featuring on the scoresheet Grammar headed into the first break with a 25-14 lead.

Rangi had the better of the second period – Elgar and Gracie Hasler-Ewins to the fore – as they closed to 35-30 at half-time.

Zhanay Hettig, on her way to a season best 31 points, was instrumental in Grammar reasserting their superiority in the third quarter. She had a dozen points in the period and Elianna Tuaiti half that as the defending champions moved out to 59-40 at the three-quarter time.

Hettig carried on her merry scoring way in the fourth and aided by Heeni Blakey and Mele Latu, recently named in the Junior Tall Ferns extended squad, Grammar had little trouble keeping their unbeaten record intact. For Rangitoto a string of wins are essential as they now find themselves two wins behind fourth placed Massey High having played a game more, with a top four play-off berth hanging in the balance.

All teams now have a break before competition resumes after the school holidays on July 27^th.

Rangitoto 52 – H Wentworth 14, I Elgar 13, G Hasler-Ewins 10

AGGS 88 – Z Hettig 31, E Tuaiti 16, H Blakey 12, M Latu 11, L Tuaiti 10

Premier Standings

11-0 AGGS

8-2 MAGS

7-3 Westlake

6-4 Massey

4-7 Rangitoto

2-8 Carmel, St Mary’s

1-9 St Kentigern

Last Friday in the tenth round of the Auckland Secondary Schools Premier Girl’s competition the top four teams were matched against the bottom four and the results were predictable – wins for Westlake Girls, Massey High, Mt Albert Grammar and Auckland Girls Grammar.

Massey High had little trouble disposing of Carmel College winning 97-46.

The game did throw up a slightly odd statistic as Carmel guard Tayla Dalton scored all her team’s points in both the opening and third quarters.

She scored nine points in the opener although Shauna Povey matched that, as Massey burst out to a 25-9 lead.

Forward Qaizden Stephano, on her way to a season best 14 points, scored ten of those in the second frame but threes from Yzabelle Tevao and Povey helped Massey to a 46-25 half-time lead.

Dalton’s eleven points in the third counted for little as Massey piled on another twenty eight points – Ramona Fuiavaa and Terina Aratangi joined Povey and Tevao in double figures.

Alyesha Schuster also moved into double-digit points as Massey bossed proceedings from start to finish.

Massey 97 – S Povey 22, Y Tevao 19, A Schuster 13, R Fuiavaa 12, T Aratangi 11

Carmel 46 – T Dalton 21, Q Stephano 14, E Davidson 6

Mt Albert Grammar were also comfortable winners. A couple of triples from Moanekah Va’ai and a dozen points from Sharne Pupuke-Robati propelled Mt Albert to a 25-11 opening quarter lead against Rangitoto College.

More threes from Tessa Talo-Tomokino and Jada Manase (she totaled five in the game) extended the MAGS lead to 50-19 at the break.

Hannah Wentworth twice converted from beyond the arc either side of half-time and Bella Elgar chipped in with useful points for Rangitoto but MAGS were out of sight at half-time leading 64-30 and a couple of competition points safely in the bag.

Mt Albert 88 – S Pupuke-Robati 26, J Manase 17, M Va’ai 11, T Talo-Tomokino 10, R Fiatau 10

Rangitoto 48 – H Wentworth 16, I Elgar 11, M Spooner 5

A less than full strength St Kentigern side were overwhelmed at Westlake Girls going down 123-38.

Westlake opened up a 30-14 first quarter lead and cruised thereafter as Emme Shearer, Jordyn Maddix and Jess Moors each collected twenty-point hauls.

Renee Flay scored in double figures for St Kent’s in response.

Westlake 123– J Moors 28, E Shearer 24, J Maddix 21, M Davidson 12

St Kentigern 38 – R Flay 11, G Umaga 8, C Griffiths 8

The closest contest of the round saw Auckland Girls Grammar beat St Mary’s College 85-63. It was a game in which Elianna Tuaiti, often the provider, turned scorer as she amassed a season high 28 points.

St Mary’s made a decent start trailing by just a single point (16-15) at the quarter mark.

Tuaiti scored nine points in the second as AGGS took control to lead 46-30 at half-time – Riana Matiseni scored 11 first half points for St Mary’s.

Safena Te Nana-Williams and Zaaliyah Kailahi-Fulu added to St Mary’s tally but it wasn’t enough to challenge the defending champions. Tuaiti scored another dozen points in the third and with Mele Latu and Heeni Blakey providing assistance AGGS eased to their tenth win of the season.

AGGS 85 – E Tuaiti 28, M Latu 13, H Blakey 12, Z Hettig 11

St Mary’s 63 – R Matiseni 17, Z Kailahi-Fulu 13, S Te Nana-Williams 11

Premier Standings

10-0 AGGS

8-2 MAGS

7-3 Westlake

6-4 Massey

4-6 Rangitoto

2-8 Carmel, St Mary’s

1-9 St Kentigern

Senior A Girls

Mt Roskill 59 Epsom 68

Orewa 54 Botany Downs 53

Avondale 58 Birkenhead 88

Diocesan 30 Pakuranga 70

Senior A Standings

10-0 Epsom

7-3 Mt Roskill, Botany Downs

6-4 Birkenhead

4-6 Orewa, Pakuranga

2-8 Avondale

0-10 Diocesan