Last year’s basketball leaders have wins

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33817, 14 April 1975, Page 5

Last year’s basketball leaders have wins

5 .M.C.A. and Mairehau started the men's basketball competition on winning notes at Cowles Stadium on Saturday. ; but neither could derive too much satisfaction from its perI formance.

The ‘title - holder. [Y.M.C.A., was expected to be far too strong for Burnside, which only retained its A grade status by beating Aranui, 156-47, in a promotionrelegation match last I week. ’ However. Burnside, with a big height disadvantage, gave a very spirited showing, (especially in the first half, and trailed by only 11 points at half-time. i Y.M.C.A. exerted more pressure in the second spell, (and capitalised on careless

, passing to increase its lead j substantially at the end. ( . There was an excuse for, 1 the rather lack-lustre per- " formance by Y.M.C.A. The! 51 team had to travel to Dune-1 , din after the match to com-1 . pete in the regional qualify- 1 ( ing rounds of the national (club championship. The match between Checkers and High School Old Boys was a deferred to a later date. Both e . teams are playing in a regional tournament at Greymouth r Mairehau had control throughl*iout against University. and,| S although It wor. by a convincing margin, it was scrambling play for most of the match. e PROMISING DISPLAY Over-exuberance which led to IS I many infringements spoilt an

j otherwise creditable display by Burnside against the club chain ; pion I The players refused to let the much taller and experienced I Y.M.C.A team dictate the game I But a lack of possession from rebounds—the former New Zea i land representative. Roger Mil--1 lard, and John Bosch were donu nant for Y.M.C.A in this aspect —told towards the end. Burnside's unyielding deten* ive cordon made Y.M.C.A. work hard for each ba>k<t. Paul Cai pir.ter was of great value to ' Y.M.C.A.’s offensive movements and he top-scored with IS [ points. i Millard, the key figure in gain Hing possession from rebounds, also accomplished good work on attack and netted 13 points. The New Zealand Games reprwi ta , tive, Stu Ferguson, was not used i extensively, but performed abh when he was on the court. Brian 1 Cot tell used his speed to scoie

consistently from fast break.-, and Bob Manthei shot accurately Burnside, which had the opp" sition rattled for several minute* i when it came from 32-17 behind ' to within eight points, lost some [of its fire and control in the ' second half Brent Commack scored 14 I points. John Hay tried hard to 'set up his shooters, and Steve Fifield and Geoff McKay weir quick to seize scoring opportunities. SLOW START It w’as almost three minutes before the scoring was opened by Mairehau University, dis organised initially, managed only j one of the first eight goal* ' Mairehau attempted several planned moves, but only a few paid dividends. However. Im versity was even less effective ■' in possession, ar.d the only point of interest was whether Maiie'•(hau, ahead 42 20 at halftime, could reach its century. But University strengthened ' its defence appreciably in the second half, and restricted Mair* hau to 32 points although the . t students could only gain another i‘ls themselves. , The tall Carl Stent achieved l a great workload for Mairehau and he was a constant danger to University In the keyhole s Peter Howell scored consistently. and Gordon Phillips impress* d Mwith some driving rur.a in th* 1 second half. !» Jackie Pike! wa* always alert ’ and was able to avoid his market •by nimble footwork, and th* ; defence was well marshalled k Roger Stead and David Vincent [j John McDowell. Don Rule, and , Bruce Lepine were in the var of I University’s attacking move* e but their goal shooting succes I rate was not high. Ben Searle scored the first two goals, both ft long-range shots, but he becam* g obsessed with that shot and i. wasted valuable possession on n many occasions n .. Scores:— Y.M.C.A., 80 'P. < arplr.tet 15. 5 R Millard 13, J. Bosch 12. R Manthei 12. S. Ferguson 12 B *. Cottell 10. B Shipley beat d Burnside 40 <B. Cummack 14. > * Fifield 8. J Hay 7. G McKay ♦». I’ J Wright 2 T Green 2. B Young h. Mairehau. 74 <C. Stent 19 P Howell 13, M seaward 9. D Vrnal cent 7. G. Phillips 6. R. Stead ♦» 5, J Piket 6. J. Caldwell 6 M e Belcher 3>. beat University 35 st D Rule 8. B Lepine 8 K Seat I* u 6. J McDowell 6. R Gillie 4, A. (freeman 2. M. Jonei 1).