Basketball CLOSE GAMES

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28921, 15 June 1959, Page 13

Basketball CLOSE GAMES

Sacred Heart Holds Lead Not for many seasons has the Canterbury Basketball Association’s senior competition been so closely contested and on Saturday two of the leading contenders for championship honours were hard pressed. By a slender margin of one goal. Sacred Heart avoided going down to the •Teachers’ College team who on Saturday’s play showed greatly improved form. Technical too. • had many uneasy moments in i their game against Digbys and | although the eventual winners by a safe margin, were a greatly subdued team. Kakatai played well pp to standard and easily accounted for West B. and in a game almost entirely devoid of excitement. West A were much too good for St. Nicholas. Results were as follows: Technical 19, Digbys 13. West A 29, St. Nicholas 17. Kakatai 33, West B 26. Sacred Heart 23, Teachers’ College 22. Competition points are as follows:

Sacked Heart 12, Kakatai 10'. Technical 10, West A 6, West B 6. Digbys 2, Teachers’ College 2, St. Nicholas 0.

Technical v. Digbys From the throw-off Technical’s move failed and only fine anticipation by the lormer representative, B. Itowe, prevented Digbys from goaling. From her well-judged interception Technical goaled. Digbys attacked vigorously and with A. Hughes again directing play, only the vigilance of Digby's C. Orsborne, H. Arthur and B. Roberts restiained Technical. Infringements of the personal contact rule frequently minimised the effectiveness of the Digbys attack, and from these infringements Technical goaled to lead by 4 goals to 2. Fine forward play by A. Hughes for Digbys brought the scores level at 5-all. Technical forwards, J. Fuller and P. Dorward, a most skilful combination, were experiencing great difficulty in penetrating the circle, but their determined efforts succeeded temporarily and Technical led 7 goals to Digbys 5. Play continued fast and even for the remainder of, this spell, with either team being particularly successful on attack, but both displaying aptitude for tight defensive play. The teams were levei 8-all at half time.

When play resumed the Digbys defence again dominated the game and its determined play, revealed some weakness in Technical’s attack. The Technical defence. S. Lightfoot and B. Rowe, guarded well and Digbys inability to goal at this point was a tribute to their unfailing vigilance. Technical went into a two goal lead, but Hughes shot brilliantly to make the score Technical 13, Digbys 12. and when Digbys again succeeded in intercepting tne Technical throw-off. scores were level at 13-all. At this stage Digbys made a strong bid for supremacy and appeared to succeed when the ball reached the goal. A strong, gusty wind was making shooting difficult, and when its five attempts to goal failed, Digbys immediately surrendered the game. In the little time remaining Technical made few mistakes and displayed its most convincing form of the match as they effortlessly added to their score. „ The referee was Miss B. Stone. Sacred Heart v. Teachers’ College

Conditions were most difficult at the commencement of this game between the competition leaders, Sacred Heart and Teachers' College. A very light ball, a high gusty wind, and the exposed goal end provea serious obstacles to Sacred Heart, but Teachers’ College adapted its game to these conditions with considerable skill and seemed scarcely troubled. . The Teachers’ College forwards. A. Humphries and C. Clapham, were adept at eluding Sacred Heart’s tall defence, and without expected support from this third. Sacred Heart lacked thrust. Excellent play by the College centres, A. Blair, M. McCrea, and M. Curtis, denied scoring opportunities to the Sacred Heart forwards, and College gained a five-goal lead before Sacred Heart attempted a shot. Poor tactics robbed Sacred Heart of many scoring chances, and its failure to centre the ball resulted in much broken play. Teachers’ College continued to attack, and retained the initiative until half-time, when the scores were Teachers’ College 12. Sacred Heart 8. Use of its own ball and less wind to contend with, brought Sacred Heart early success in this spell, and College was given few chances until scores were level at 14-all. Sacred Heart attacked confidently. and sp’enriid forward play by M. Murrav and P. Glubb gave it a three-goal lead. With admirable determination. Teachers’ College fought back, and canable plav by its defence. M. Tuute and A. Stewart, checked Sacred Heart’s attack, and scores were agHn levelled at 21-all. The final, few minutes were tens* and exciting. Possession of each other’s pass was gained, and then almost immed’ate’v lost, hut resourceful play by E. B*ck and N. Fahev f °r Peered Heart placed the forward M Murray. Inst within the circle she well, to elve Sacr®'* Heart a much needed goal. Aty ♦i->o”»h "hr ennttnuAd some mlnu*®** ’nngpr. Cofieop unaht* ♦n cnmnie»e n ro»*«ru''t<v«* move. •*»ent. and the fin*] was •n—'efhlnrt of an The v’fis Miss C. Rrown.

West A v. St. Nlchn’as From tn a outset West h*ld a ♦•rr’- ***♦*»! advantage end its forwards 1. Dm* pnd R. exited tn full as thev goaled well to give West a lead of 7 goal* to 2. Careful teamwork and greater nar e passing aided St. Nicholas’s '•ttack and as its pl»v West’s lead was steadily reduced. The St. Nicholas forwards J. Rogers and B. Smith, shot confidently tn the score West A 10. St Nicholas 8. The West A defence, M. Clark and N. Murrav. made some good saves. St. Nicholas again Tensed Into mediocre nlav, and bv hn’t-time West led by 16 goals to 10. The second snell was most onesided and St. Nicholas was unable ♦n offer serious onnosition to anv West attack. West’s mounted steadily and St. play deteriorated jrst as steadfiv. The referees were M»-s Paul iWellington) and Mrs F. Gough Kakatai v. West B Tn the final ga-ne of the afternoon Kakatai immediately found fnrm attacking stronglv and in the first 10 minutes it held a lead of 7 goals to 4. Although the West centres. C. Marsh. I. Johnson and J. Brownie were plaving well nt th’s stage and made some very fine interceptions which allowed their forwards to score, capable play by Kakatai enabled the side to stay in the lead. By half-time, however, score was much closer, with the West forward. C. McMaster, shooting well to make the score 13-12 in favour of Kakatai.

When play resumed West scored quite well for a time, but Kakatal’s positional plav and the excellent shooting by the forwards, L. Price and J. Dunlop, enabled Kakatai to hold its lead. West became unsettled as time went on. but its forward, J. Langford, did some brilliant shooting to ! build up Its score. Kakatai was not ito he beaten, however, and effectively ended West’s chances by scoring well in the last few minutes of play.

The referee was Miss Benbow,

Lower Grades

Senior Reserve.—Section I: West Old Girls B 24, Papanui Old Girls 21; Teachers* College B 39, St. Nicholas B 15; Technical B 36, Sacred Heart B 32. Section II: Teachers’ College C 29, Digby's B 13; B.R.A. A 32» Can

berra 20; Papanui High A 23, Maori wirls* College A 18. Second uraae.—Section I: C.U.C. A 20, Celtic A 16; Zipps A 2a, Maori H At; Teachers* College E 28, Noitnern 19. Section 11: Mataura A 43, west Old GUIs F 17; snniey North A 16, St. Nicholas C 12; Digby’s C Kangi-ruru 2u. Section 1U: r*apanui Hign B 24, Technical C 18; Otaucani West Old Crins 11; Sacred neart D lb, c.U.c. B x2. Section IV: Technical D 2a, Digoy's D 20; Fapanui Old Guls B 2b, Addington A la; sumner A 1, Nurses 0; Teachers' college D 48, Kaxaiai C 12. Tnird Graae. —Section 1: Teachers’ College 23, Motorways 24; St. Theresa 45, Gausaens 13; Papanui old Girls B 16, Addington Old Girls H 7. Section II: Sockburn A 30, N.Z.R. 7; Sunnysiae Nurses 2d, B.R.A. 7. Section HI. Mairima A 25, Opawa A 2u; Zipps B 22, Sockburn B 13; Technical E 45, Teachers’ College 16. Section IV: Technical F 21, Shirley North B 10; Holy Trinity A 2u, Woolworths 14; Sacred Heart F 15, State Advances 14. Section V; L.W.R. A 21, Sumner B 13; Snirley North C 13, Digby’s E 6; P. 05.8. 20. Holy Trinity A 10; Sacred Heart G 29, M.T.M. 11. Section VI: Dental Nurses A 17, Sacred Heart E 12; West Old Girls G 16, P. 0.5.8. A 14;. Drayton Jones 29, Sisepa A 13. Section VII: South Brighton 20, Pegasus 16; Edgeware 24, Sacred Heart H s; Telegrams A 22, O’Brien's 14. Fourth Grade A.—Section I: Holy Trinity 17, Argyle Textiles 14; Papanui High C 25, West Old Girls K 17. Seciion II: Shirley North D 2b, Slsepa B 11; Mataura XB 1, South Brighton C 0; Kakatai D 15, Digby’s F 9. Section III: Sockburn C 24, St. Mary’s A 12; Celtic C 20, West J 16; Papanui High D 34, Edinburgh 3; St. Joseph's A 32, Satterthwaites 8. Section IV: Ballantynes A 19, Sacred Heart I 3; Sumner C 25, Opawa B 4; St. Nicholas D 23, Sisepa 8. Fourth Grade B.—Section I: Hollanders 29, I.G.A. 10; Y.W.C.A. A 37. Mairima B 4. Section H: C.DX. 31, Ballantynes B 11; St Pat's A 29, Papanui High E 11; Sumner E 1, West H 0. Section III: Gough, Gough and Hamer 1, St. Therese 0; Sumner D 16, Dental Nurses C 3; Cathedral B 13, Opawa C 5. Section IV; Technical G 21, Christchurch Skating Club 8; Y.W.C.A. B 17, Sacied Heart J 11. Fifth Grade.—Section I: Technical H 26, Sockburn D 14; Technical I 13. St. Pat’s B 11; Addington Old Girls C 26, Papanui High G 11; West 5B 20. Kakatai E 8. Section II: West 5C 12. Sisepa C 10; Papanui High F 31, Addington Old Girls D •; St. Nicholas F 10, Kakatai F 4. Section III: West 5A 15, St. Joseph’s 13; Papanui High H 33, Tul A 5; Technical K 17. Shirley North E 9. Sixth Grade.—Section I: Sumner F 12, Kakatai H 10; Technical L 28, South Brighton E 9; Papanui High J 18. Addington E 15. Section II: Sacred Heart K 15, St. Nicholas G 10; O’Brien’s B 20. Technical M 16;

TRIAL TEAMS

Second Grade Players

The following players have been chosen as trialists for the Canterbury Basketball Association's second grade team to play in the New Zealand tournament:—

L. Walker. N. Dudley. J. Edmonds (Kakatai). M. McNeish. D. Barry, B. French. C. Baty (Digby’s), R. Wilson, M. Gaskin. H. Wilson (Papanui 0.G.), Y. Evans. L. Stevens (Technical), J. Preston. H. Glubb. H. Williamson. E. Cronin, J. Marriott, L. Watson (Sacred Heart), K. Fuller, P. Wright, M. Simpson, H. Smith. N. Blomquist (St. Nicholas), D. Mann (Teachers’ College), D. Phipps, K. Smith, S. Smith (Mataura). M. Phillips (Otautahi), A. Loveridge, J. Mangin (Rangi-ruru), D. Moss, J. Lester (Addington).

Sub-Associations’ Team

The following plavers have been chosen as tria’ists for the Canterbury Basketball Association’s Subassociations' team to play at the New Zealand tournament:—

J. Cusdin, L. McGregor, P. Partridge (Banks Peninsula). S. Heslop. Z. Chatterton (Ellesmere). R. Pickering, J. Stalker, F. Wilson, J. Geddes, U. Birch < Lincoln), M. Francis, V. Guthrie. D. McNuer, A. Deuton, M. Harding (Hurunul). J. Hudson, M. Gibson, L. Bowring. N. Smith. H. Smith. J. Undray, J. Pester. and J. Dunnell (North Canterbury) .