Close basketball final won by Canterbury

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32614, 24 May 1971, Page 3

Close basketball final won by Canterbury

“The Press” Special Service

DUNEDIN.

In a thrilling match with a tense finish Canterbury men’s basketball team beat Otago, 80-79, to win the Otago-Canterbury-Southland tournament in the gymnasium at the Caledonian Ground in Dunedin on Saturday night.

Earlier in the day both Canterbury and Otago had easy wins over a weak Southland side.

..The final was played at a fast pace with strong forceful basketball of a high standard from both teams. B. Beard was outstanding for Canterbury. K. Hessell had a good first half and led him team well throughout. A. Hounsell also had a good game, as did B. Bredahl and J. Fairweather in the second half.

j. Macdonald was the mainstay for Otago, scoring well under strong pressure.

Point-for-point The first half was almost point-for-point, with Otago leading 40-37 at the break. Canterbury trailed by 11 points midway through the second half, but fought back and took the lead in the seventeenth minute.

In an action-packed final three minutes the lead changed hands five times. With a two-point lead and 25 seconds remaining, Canterbury tried to freeze the ball, only to get caught with a five-second-held ball count. Otago won the tip, but Dickel was fouled on his drive for the basket. With three seconds left he was awarded two free throws, |

; Canterbury came third in the women’s section, which • was' won comfortably by . Otago. The results were: ■ Otago 88, Canterbury 26,; > Otago 62, Southland 40; . Southland 52, Canterbury 43. A match between the CanI terbury and Otago under-18 . men’s teams was won by Canterbury, 92-6 Q.

but in a suspenseful silence scored only from the first. The top scorers for Canterbury were B. Beard 31, A. Hounsell 14, and J. Fairweather 12. The best for Otago were J. Macdonald 37 and C. Dickel 11. Match results were: Otago 88, Southland 47; Canterbury 130, Southland 46; Canterbury 80, Otago 79.