BASKETBALL Canterbury Beaten In Championship Final

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28987, 31 August 1959, Page 14

BASKETBALL Canterbury Beaten In Championship Final

• i\ew Zeaiana Press Association)

INVERCARGILL. Aug. 30.

in tiie final of the national basketbail championships at Invercargill on Saturday Southland retained its title when it beat Canterbury by 27 goals to 22. At half-time the score was 10all, but in the second half, although at one stage the score was level at 18-all, Southland put in a grand scoring burst and after this the issue was never in doubt.

About 1500 people watched the game.

Wairarapa turned on an excellent performance to win the third grade section of the tournament, going through its nine games unbeaten. The team had the fewest number of goals scoied against it at the tournament, and is a strong contender for tne Violet Gilmour trophy which is presented to the team with the lowest number of goals scored against it in the first, second, third and* fourth grade tournaments. The second and fourth grades play at Nelson this week, and the winner of the tiophy will not be known until Saturday next. With three goals up on the North Island team with only minutes to go. the South Island was unlucky to be beaten by a goal in the last few seconds. North won 29-28. In the first half the North Island was |on top. and at half-time, held a--17-14 lead in the second half. South improved to lead North 26-24. The goal-shouting of the North forwards. N Erceg (Hawke’s Bay) and J Waititi (Auckland), bettered the South Islanders, an.) their passing in goal was fat supenot , Although North was playing together for the first time, and the players took a little time to combine, they maoe some brilliant movements. South, which contained five Canterbury girls, was sound, but it appeared to lack the dash of the North girls, especially in the- first half. South’s goal-shooting was not quite consistent enough in the second half.

and several scoring movements broke down through bad passing.

The winners at the tournament were:—

First Grade (New Zealand Cup).— Southland, tunner-up (Annie Brown Cup) Canterbury Third Grade (Kiwi Trophy).—Wairarapa; runner-up (Armstrong Shield). Thames Valley. West Coast won the Gisborne Cup for the New Zealand Basketball Association’s parade on Monday. Saturday's results were:— First Grade Hawke’s Bay 26. Otago 25; Auckland 28, Otago 28 (replay); Rotorua 31, Wanganui 31; Matamata 31, Hutt Valley 21, Southland 27, Canterbury 22 Auckland 25. Southland Country 24; North Island 29. South Island 28 Third Grade Ashburton 30, Canterbury 20: Thames Valley 31, Marlborough 21; Taranaki 20. Poverty Bay 11: Wairarapa 39. Hokitika 14; West Coast 30. Putaruru 25.

r MLC11 Ml U C.O. A table of points for the first grade section is:— P W. L. D. Goals For Ag Southland 9 8 — 1 247 191 Canterbury 9 8 1 — 272 187 Auckland 9 6 2 1 240 222 Hawke’s Bay .. 9 6 3 213 220 Southland Country 9 5 3 1 234 198 Otago 9 3 5 1 210 257 Wanganui 9 2 6 1 208 235 Rotorua 9 2 6 1 215 245 Matamata 9 2 7 194 263 Hutt Valley .. 9 - 9 - 186 269 The third grade points table s:— P W. L. a Goals For Ag Wairarapa 9 9 - 291 137 Thames Valley 9 8 1 256 191 Ashburton 9 7 2 299 197 Canterbury 9 6 3 261 206 Putaruru 9 4 5 257 237 Marlborough .. 9 4 5 215 215 West Coast 9 4 5 233 231 Taranaki 9 2 7 129 222 Poverty Bay .. >9 1 8 140 259 Hokitika 9 • 9 135 296