Indoor Basketball Titles For Women

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28992, 5 September 1959, Page 5

Indoor Basketball Titles For Women

record number of entries in each grade suggests that there ■1 be some fact interesting res when the New Zealand mtn’s- Indoor Basketball miament opens at the King I irard Barracks on Monday. ’%e ournament will consist of » ee grades, with 30 teams coming. Games will be played day ! I evening throughout the week, II players will be striving to n a place in either the A or B ide inter-island teams. Eight = es will compete in the senior J de, including Wellington, last I r'j trophy winner. Wellington Jjs a fast man-to-man game, i I relies on its swift passing and irk breaking forwards to net 1 ny of its points. With the team 1 ring much the same type of 1 Be this year, it will be hard beat (proved Team - be only teams to hold Wellingi last year were Canterbury I i Otago, both early in the draw, i Btaijury, which will draw Weligtm or the main game on ‘n*y evening is playing a much rawed game and is quite likely cause a major upset if it can 1 form early. ’ ®nt runners-up last year were 1 *So and Auckland. Both teams ! a tone defence, a type of play ’ * seems to upset the attackI combination of most North teams not accustomed to •pother team likely to impress J be Palmerston North which Welding a very young, fast line T® A Reserve grade will be ■J&t out between eight teams, Southland A eager to regain J* status. Most opposition “ not doubt come from Marljib and the Whangarei team, *b won the B grade last year. P 14 teams competing the B y®wiU be played in two sec**~seven teams in each. The here are mainly from ’T~* r centres, other than where r )or association is fielding two r - Consequently many young pets will be seen in action. Final

' J*. B grade final will be .to on Friday evening im- . before the A grade match, with a simi- “ grade game on the Thurs- ' Gening. i S erl ?. ury will be repre- ', T* by two teams: one ' A grade and one B grade. J u , yers have been training J fr last two months, ‘ |ki lre< l Uen t keep-fit sessions to haJj p ky ers to stand a week . , “• fast basketball "j >3 *®ior team has a core of j u players, with a good standing—Pamela Edmonds,

Nola Tregoning, and Catherine Brown, all of whom have represented the province for a number of seasons. Early in the season a lack of the fundamentals of the game was apparent in the teams’ play; but excellent coaching by Mr H. Fox. a former New Zealand representative, has paid dividends. Passing and dribbling has improved, but a tendency to

pass the ball rather than shoot when opportunities arose has now been mostly overcome. Improvement With the marked improvement shown by young players, Margaret Elms, Ann Struthers, and Elaine Watson, combined with the ability of the more experienced members, the team forms a strong combination which could cause some major upsets next week. The coach of the B grade team Mr A. Thompson has high hopes of his young side for next week. The team is comprised of very young players with little experience of tournament basketball. With many very small girls, the team may be handicapped by the lack of height but this may be compensated for by the players speed and keenness.