Four of our boys’ teams and three girls teams have qualified for the AA Championship next month
Report Written by Bruce Martin
Schick Zone 4 AA Premierships at Invercargill
Cashmere, Shirley Boys, Middleton Grange and St. Andrew’s College qualified for the Secondary Schoolboys AA National Basketball Championships in October while in the Girls, St. Andrew’s, Rangi Ruru and Christchurch Girls’ qualified for their Nationals after the Premierships were held in Invercargill.
Both Rangiora Boys and Girls and Middleton Grange Girls just failed to qualify when beaten in the 5-8 semi-finals.
A record 385 basketball teams entered in BBNZ School Tournaments last week, with the best looking to qualify for the National SS Basketball championships at Palmerston North in early October. 12 out of the 24 Boys teams and 8 out of 17 Girls teams in Invercargill were from our Canterbury competitions.
Qualification Spots for ‘AA’ National Championships
BOYS • Zone 1 – 7 spots • Zone 2 – 5 spots • Zone 3 – 6 spots • Zone 4 – 6 spots
GIRLS • Zone 1 – 6 spots • Zone 2 – 6 spots • Zone 3 – 6 spots • Zone 4 – 6 spots
Cashmere High edged a determined Shirley Boys’ High 63-51 in a low scoring Grand Final at the Southern Zone Secondary Schoolboys Basketball Premierships (Qualifying). Shirley started well, leading 12-4 but by half-time Cashmere levelled 27-27. Thomas Webley (18) and Nic Wenmoth (17) led Cashmere to a strong third quarter to lead 52-39 and its bench carried it to victory 63-51.
Cashmere was unbeaten in Pool C with wins over Wakatipu, St. Bede’s, Waitaki Boys’, Nayland and Waimea Colleges while Shirley Boys’ accounted for John McGlashan, Timaru BHS, Marlborough Boys’, James Hargest and Burnside in Pool D.
Both teams won their respective semi-finals with Shirley ousting Waimea College 86-59 while Cashmere overwhelmed Middleton Grange 99-58 with Webley (17), Luca Williams (15) and Tom Russ-Hofmans (15) having too much depth for Middleton.
Waimea College beat Middleton Grange 78-69 in the third-place play-off and St. Andrew’s College beat Otago Boys’ High 60-51 for fifth placing. All six teams qualify to attend the Secondary Schools AA Nationals in Palmerston North.
Rangiora High, led by Jack Exeter and Lachie MacFarlane, had high hopes of qualifying for nationals, won a place in the main quarter-finals after three teams completed pool play with two wins and a loss each and was awarded second placing on countback. Alas, Rangiora lost their 5-8 semi to Otago Boys’ 62-68, missing out on qualifying but then thumped Timaru Boys’ 104-72 in the seventh-place play-off. A slight disappointment to end to such a positive season.
Rangi Ruru Girls’ tested top seed St. Andrew’s College in the Girls’ Grand Final. St. Andrew’s, led by Charlotte Whittaker, took the Grand Final 56-42 while Otago Girls’ beat Christchurch Girls’ High 80-60 in the third-place play-off.
Rangiora High and Middleton Grange Girls both narrowly lost their 5-8 Semi’s so missed qualifying. Rangiora was beaten by James Hargest College 77-72 but went onto beat Middleton 60-53 in the 7th place play-off.
Cashmere Boys coach Paul Conner sent in his report on the Premierships.
“Every team stepped up big time to play us at Premierships. Our last four games, including our final pool game against Waimea were all competitive and all were close at half time. The level of play the top ten teams exhibited was high quality, and then teams like Christ College who beat Otago Boys’ in pool play but ended up finishing 15th shows how tight some of the games were. Just seeing a quality team like Thomson Trophy finalist Rangiora HS miss out on qualification for Nationals shows this.
“St. Andrew’s and Middleton gave us very good competition and competed for most of the game. Teams have good scouting and know where to put pressure on one another. Shirley played solid and stuck to a well thought out game plan in the final. Our boys struggled to settle but the Cashmere boys nearly always dominate in the 3rd period given our depth on the bench, and our starters finally started getting going. It was a classic final where the spectators may have seen more flowing and entertaining basketball played in the semi-finals, the final was a grind.
St. Andrew’s Girls’ coach Sussan Graham commented that their margins reflected the fact that they were able to play all 12 girls in every game.
Competition around the country has been strong with the following teams qualifying:
Zone 1 Boys Grand Final: Rosmini Coll* 113 Saint Kentigern Coll 77, 3rd Place: Rangitoto Coll** 104 Auckland Grammar 91.
Zone 1 Girls Grand Final: Mt Albert Grammar 55 Auckland Girls Grammar* 53, 3rd place: Westlake Girls HS** 89 Rangitoto Coll 63.
Zone 2 Boys Grand Final: Hamilton Boys HS* 78 St Johns Coll 71, 3rd place: Rotorua BHS 94 Tauranga Boys Coll 88.
Zone 2 Girls Grand Final: St Peters School Cambridge* 77 Hamilton GHS 44, 3rd place: Rotorua GHS 51 Fraser HS 43.
Zone 3 Boys Grand Final: Napier BHS 77 Rongotai Coll** 72, 3rd place: Palmerston North BHS* 79 St Patricks Coll, Kilbirnie 53.
Zone 3 Girls Grand Final: Sacred Heart Girls New Plymouth 79 Hutt Valley HS 68, 3rd place: Napier GHS 61 Queen Margaret Coll 58.
*Indicates 2017 defending champion, ** 2017 Losing finalist
Results were
Schick Boys SS Zone 4 Premierships:
Boys Pool B: Rangiora HS 80 St Thomas 52, Rangiora HS 72 Nelson Coll 58, Rangiora HS 70 Southland Boys HS 55, Rangiora HS 98 Papanui HS 56, Middleton Grange 88 Rangiora HS 80.
Boys Pool C: Cashmere HS 96 Wakatipu HS 36, Cashmere HS 99 St Bede’s Coll 70, Cashmere HS 97 Waitaki Boys 62, Cashmere HS 116 Nayland Coll 33, Cashmere HS 93 Waimea Coll 68.
Boys Quarter-Finals: Cashmere HS 89 (Nic Wenmoth 32, Quinten Conner 15, Thomas Webley 12) St Andrew’s Coll 70 (Sam Jenkins 19, Scott Hay 18, Will Hollings 13), Shirley BHS 57 Rangiora HS 46 (Lachie MacFarlane 11), Middleton Grange 87 Timaru Boys HS 74, Waimea College 88 Otago Boys 82.
Boys 5-8 Semi-final: Otago Boys 68 Rangiora HS 62 (Jack Exeter 23, Lachie MacFarlane 19), St Andrew’s Coll 83 Timaru Boys HS 42.
Boys Main Semi-finals: Cashmere HS 99 (Thomas Webley 17, Tom Rus-Hofmans 15, Luca Williams 15, Louis Oskam 12) Middleton Grange 58 (Ben Carlile-Smith 18, Shirley Boys HS 86 Waimea Coll 59.
Boys Play off for 7th place: Rangiora HS 104 (Jack Exeter 33, Lachie MacFarlane 18, Travis Jennings 17) Timaru Boys HS 72.
Boys Play off for 5th place: St Andrew’s Coll 60 Otago Boys HS 51.
Boys Play off for 3rd place: Waimea College 78 Middleton Grange 69.
Boys Grand Final: Cashmere HS 63 (Thomas Webley 18, Nic Wenmoth 17, Tom Russ-Hofmans 12) Shirley Boys HS 51 (Joel Jeffrey 19). HT: 27-27.
Schick Girls SS Zone 4 Premierships:
Girls Pool A: Rangiora HS 55 Craighead Diocesan 26, Rangiora 55 St Hilda’s Collegiate 34, Waimea Coll 60 Rangiora HS 44,
Girls Pool B: Middleton Grange 71 Nayland Coll 34, Middleton Grange 80 Cashmere HS 40, Otago Girls 77 Middleton Grange 53.
Girls Pool C: Rangi Ruru GS 81 Kaiapoi HS 36, Christchurch Girls HS 61 Kaiapoi HS 44, Christchurch Girls 66 Timaru Girls 60, Timaru Girls 56 Kaiapoi HS 45, Rangi Ruru 82 Timaru Girls 43, Rangi Ruru 64 Christchurch Girls 38.
Girls Pool D: St Andrews Coll 69 Verdon Coll 43, St Andrews Coll 84 Avonside GHS 29, St Andrews Coll 76 James Hargest Coll 36, St Andrews Coll 85 Ashburton Coll 49,
Girls Quarter-Final: Rangi Ruru 61 Rangiora HS 42, Christchurch Girls HS 61 Waimea Coll 43, St Andrew’s Coll 67 Middleton Grange 36.
Girls 5-8 Semi-Finals: James Hargest Coll 77 Rangiora HS 72, Waimea Coll 62 Middleton Grange 60.
Girls Main Semi-Finals: St Andrew’s Coll 73 Christchurch Girls HS 30, Rangi Ruru 73 Otago GHS 53.
Girls 13-17 B5RR: Kaiapoi HS 60 Cashmere HS 42, Kaiapoi HS 58 Verdon Coll 48, Kaiapoi HS 69 Craighead Diocesan 51, Avonside GHS 55 Kaiapoi HS 43, Avonside GHS 70 Craighead Diocesan 53, Verdon Coll 63 Cashmere HS 51. Placings: Avonside GHS 13th, Kaiapoi HS 14th, Cashmere HS 16th.
Girls Play off for 7th place: Rangiora HS 60 Middleton Grange 53.
Girls Play off for 3rd place: Otago GHS 80 Christchurch Girls 60.
Girls Grand Final: St Andrew’s Coll 56 Rangi Ruru GS 42.
Schick Secondary Schoolboys basketball A Premierships for Small Schools held at Blenheim
Boys Quarter-Final: Hillmorton 95 Rangiora New Life School 64,
Boys 5-8 Semi-Final: Rangiora NLS 82 Ellesmere Coll 72.
Main Semi-finals: Hillmorton HS 94 Catholic Cathedral Coll 88, St Kevin’s Coll 98 Dunstan HS 62.
Boys Play off for 7th place: Ellesmere Coll 88 John Paul 2nd HS 68.
Boys Play off for 5th place: Rangiora New Life school 73 Greymouth HS 68.
Boys Play off for 3rd place: Dunstan HS 74 Catholic Cathedral Coll 65.
Boys Grand final: Hillmorton HS 85 St Kevin’s Coll 63.
Schick Secondary School basketball A Premierships for small schools held at Westport:
Hillmorton 71 Rangiora New Life School 34; Greymouth HS 98 Rangiora NLS 43; Buller HS 95 Rangiora NLS 20; Ellesmere Coll 81 Rangiora NLS 57; Kavanagh Coll 66 Rangiora NLS 27; Buller HS 67 Hillmorton HS 56; Kavanagh Coll 76 Ellesmere Coll 70; Ellesmere Coll 82 Hillmorton HS 52; Kavanagh Coll 79 Hillmorton HS 48; Greymouth HS 67 Hillmorton HS 37; Ellesmere Coll 88 Buller HS 76; Ellesmere Coll 82 Greymouth HS 70. Final placings: Kavanagh Coll 1st, Ellesmere Coll 2nd, Buller HS 3rd.
