Women’s basketball

Press, 13 June 1979, Page 6

Women’s basketball

PA Napier Auckland Boystown looked title material as it cruised through its first section play game at the national women’s basketball championships in Napier yesterday. Boystown, seeded second in the tournament, overwhelmed Rotorua Giris’ High School Old Pupils, 71-30, after leading, 30-8, at half-time in the most onesided game of the day. The former national representative, M. Johns, led the assault on Rotorua, who had earlier caused an upset by beating Y.M.C.A. Akarana (Auckland), 60-56, by scoring 17 points. The defending champion, Crichton Ford (Napier), was not overly impressive in its opening game.

Crichton trailed the Auckland team, McLeay Duff, 22-20, at halftime. but improved its display to win, 52-38. Two free throws in the final seconds allowed Central (Wellington) to score a 54-53 win

over Don Rovers (Auckland) in their first game. Central, ranked eighth in comparison to Don Rovers’s nineteenth seeding, trailed, 25-31, at half-time. Kotuku (Hamilton), one of th© title favourites, led by Caroline Gray, had an impressive first day, beating Comrades (Counties), 61-48. and the Christchurch team, Mairehau. 61-42. In the game against Mairehau, Gray scored 22 points, the last 12 of which came in the last five minutes. Results:— Section 1.-—Kotuku (Hamilton) 61, Comrades (Counties) 43; Nae Nae 70, Otago University 66; Crichton Ford (Napier) 52, McLeay Duff (Auckland) 38; Kotuku 61, Mairehau (Christchurch) 42; Nae Nae 52, Comrades 45. Section 2.—Checkers (Canterbury) 56, U.F.A.L.A. (New Plymouth) 51: Central (Wellington) 54, Don Rovers (Auckland) 53; Boystown (Auckland) 71, Rotorua G.H.S.O.P. 30; Checkers 67, Akarana 47; U.F.A.L.A. 48, Don Rovers 47.