Y.M.C.A. Likely Winner In Mens Basketball

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30152, 8 June 1963, Page 9

Y.M.C.A. Likely Winner In Mens Basketball

WITH eight rounds in the Canterbury Men's Basketball Associations A grade competition completed. the Y.M.C.A. team has firmly established itself in the lead and. although its position will undoubtedly be strongly challenged by the University A side before the competition ends, on current form it appears likely that it will repeat last season's performance and take top honours. However, the competition has by no means lost its interest. Only two points separate Y.M.C.A. and University A, the two teams at the top of the points table, and an upset win by one of the lesser-rated teams, which so often happens, could very easily reverse the present position. Y.M.C.A., which has won every match it has played, now has 14 points. Univers.ty. with one loss to Y.M.C.A., has 12.

When the teams first met in the competition, Y.M.C.A. gained a convincing win over University A, 36-27. Until then. University A had been hailed as the strongest club team in Canterbury. On that occasion, there was no doubt whatsoever as to which was the better side. They clashed again in a special Saturday afternoon match before the “live” television cameras. Y.M.C.A. won. 52-47—a much closer struggle. At half-time YMC A, was down, 32-29,

and only 4min before full time the score was tied at 44-all. The third encounter —the second competition game—should be a real battle as the result of the competition will hinge on it. YM C A, as a team, is a wonderful combination, and it is only this which gives it the advantage. University A has some brilliant players. but they all tend to play too much as individuals. The University A player, W. Smith, has again been outstanding but has also been one of the chief offenders. A former New Zealand trialist, he is good enough to get away with it most of the time, but against a team of a high calibre, such as the Melbourne Y.M.C.A. side, his weaknesses showed up. Nevertheless. Smith is still one of Canterbury’s leading players and it will be a great loss, both to Canterbury and the University Club, when he moves to Auckland at the end of the year. He is the leading points scorer in the A grade inter-club competition with 83. scored in seven games. Three other members of the University side have impressed as being good individual players. They are the Canterbury representative. L. Anderson, the former Otago representative, D. Sharp, and W WardHolmes, also a Canterbury representative. Anderson has been playing particularly well this season, and together with R. Zachariassen, has been one of the steadiest members of the team. WardHolmes is a very good scorer, having notched 67 points so far The Y.M.C.A. forward. R. Burnby, is undoubtedly one of the cleverest players in the game in Canterbury and it is a great pity that he is not available for the Canterbury team He is an excellent team man, with an eye for the opening, and with 70 points to his credit

is one of the h.ghest scorers in the inter-club competition. His scoring rate is only beaten by Smith and his team mate, P Simpson, who has 71 P Doogue. the YM C A guard, is another player who. like Burnby, is a great team man.

The five remaining teams in the competition are fairly even. Although Rex and YBbys perhaps have a slight edge on Wigram, Burnham and University B. Rex is in third place in the competition with 10 points, Y-Boys have six, and Wigram, Burnham and University B have two points each.