BASKETBALL

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28057, 27 August 1956, Page 7

BASKETBALL

CANTERBURY wins N.Z. TOURNAMENT north island beats SOUTH .* (filew Zealand Press Association) GISBORNE, August 26. •forth Island beat South Island, 16-15. . the inter-island basketball match at gsborne on Saturday. South Island led 3.9 at half-time. Canterbury retained the New Zealand Cup by beating Auckland, 16-13, in the frji of the first grade competition. Hutt Valley won the second grade competition, cd East Bay of Plenty the third grade Points scored in the first grade compeDoon were: —Canterbury 14, Hawke’s Bay 2, Auckland and Southland Country 10, Southland 8, Wellington 6. Otago and lotorua 5. Wanganui 2. In the second grade, Hutt Valley gained ; points. South Canterbury 19, and Tauanga 15. The Gisborne Cup for dress won won by iawke’s Bay. Te Kawau won the Villet Gilmour rophy for the team with the fewest goals cored against it. Earlier results on Saturday were:— first Grade.—Southland Country 29, ptorua 14: Hawke’s Bay 26. Wanganui t Wellington 17. Southland 15. Seetna Grade.— Manawatu 26, Nelson I: Taranaki 32, Wellington Minor 10; iiiranga 21, Northland 18; South Canrtury 27, Matamata 23; Hutt Valley 21. arlborough 8; Nelson 14. Horow’henua ► Waikato 26, West Coast 15; Northod 24, Wellington Minor 8; Manawatu I Tauranga 18; Taranaki 21, W’aikato 21 Third Grade.—Canterbury Sub-Associa-ms 23. Auckland Minor 17; Putaruru 27. ranaki Minor 16; Poverty Bay 15, Kai-

koyra 15; Manawatu Minor 31, Wairoa 4; East Bay of Plenty 24, South Auckland 11; Central King Country 20, Poverty Bay-East Coast 15; Ashburton 18. Buller 11; Wairarapa 18, Hawke’s Bay Minor 9; Waikato Minor 20, Thames Valley 10; Otago Minor 16, Hokitika 16; Wairarapa 23, Poverty Bay-East Coast 14; Poverty Bay 14, Temuka 13; South Auckland 23. Manawatu Minor 10; Te Kawau 20, Canterbury Sub-Associations 13; Te Kawau 16. Ashburton 12. First Grade Final Canterbury was lucky to beat Auckland in the first-grade final. Auckland began the game with great dash. Auckland took the throw-off and immediately goaled. An unsuccessful shot at goal by Canterbury was followed by another goal for Auckland. Prolonged cheering by the large crowd encouraged an unstable* Canterbury team, and two goals were scored in quick succession. The spectators were treated to some fine, exciting basketball as Canterbury- gained a lead. It was an exciting and at times willing game. The forwards in the Canterbury third were unable to penetrate the Auckland defence, which to this stage had been a weaker combination than most other teams. The previous experience of J. Fuller in the centre third proved valuable in this vital game, and she saved repeatedly when S. Fisher and J. Barron were unable to find an opening. The half-time score was Canterbury 11. Auckland 7. Shortly after the resumption, Auckland scored, and then followed a succession of infringements, and p'ay became a little ragged. The usually reliable Canterbury forwards were missing some shots. But this was nothing to the bad luck of the Auckland forwards, who in 10 attempts at goal, scored only twice. Canterbury led 13-10 at this stage, and olay swept rapidly from end to end of the ground with swift, sure passing an d nicely-timed fielding. Bad luck dogged the Auckland forwards as they repeatedly missed easy shots at goal. Auckland scored from six of its 20 attempts at goal in this srell. The final score was: Canterbury 16. Auckland 13.