Checkers favoured

Press, 15 August 1980, Page 20

Checkers favoured

By

ROD DEW

The New Zealand men’s basketball club champions, Checkers, are favoured to win the Canterbury first division championship in their play-off against United Ser-vice-Aranui in Cowles Stadium tomorrow afternoon. Checkers have the advantage of recent first-class match-play in the Dalgety Travel-Magnet Home Stores invitation tournament last week-end, and they are taking this final match very seriously. This week the team held four practices, and its big New Zealand representative centre, Stan Hill, is very keen to end his first domestic season as playercoach on a winning note. Hill, as always, will be a key figure. He has scored 360 points in Canterbury

club basketball this season, an average of 27.7 points a game. This is the highest average on record, and it is doubtful if Aranui has anybody capable of reducing his scoring rate.'

However, Aranui, which will have two New Zealand representatives in John Rademakers and Bert Knops on the court has already shown ability to rise to great heights. It beat- Checkers in the third round of the championship, a major upset, and when the competition properended the two sides were level on points. The decision to hold the deciding match on Saturday has not pleased the Aranui coach, Mr Murray Mackay, who had to cancel a planned ski trip. Mr Mackay will not have the services of Auburn Atchison, who has an injured

ankle, Phil Hill, or the Dun e d i n-b as e d New Zealand player, Andy Bennett. Not surprisingly, he is unhappy about playing for the title under these circumstances, and earlier this week threatened to withdraw his team. Checkers, fresh from their splendid win in the $lOOO tournament last week-end, are much better off.

If Checkers win, they will complete a remarkable record for the club this season. The Checkers women’s team has already won the New Zealand and Canterbury club championships, and the men now seem poised to do the same. This double-double has never before been achieved in New Zealand basketball.