Basketball Women’s title retained by Auckland against Napier

Press, 25 August 1980, Page 19

Basketball Women’s title retained by Auckland against Napier

PA Hamilton Auckland regained the Hertz national women’s basketball title it last won in 1978 when ft ~ proved too strong for Napier in the final, winning 47-32. Auckland A carried too many guns up front on Saturday night in the form of big forwards Heather Grayburn, Margaret Johns and Lorraine Norris, and its defensive moves were far too slick for the Napier girls, who struggled to penetrate the Auckland zone on attack. Shooting a low 25 per cent success rate from the floor and not registering one offensive rebound, Napier found itself trailing 12-26 by half-time. Auckland’s captain “Robbie” Robertson, whose work rate on both defence and of-

I fence was impressive, ran into foul trouble in the sec■ond half, and the young 'guard Corrina Poto’s hot shooting deserted her. Despite this and the registering of Auckland’s tenth team foul midway through the spell, the winners continued to stay 14 or 15 points ahead most of the time. In desperation Napier put more shots up, but the success rate was even more dismal than in the first half with the experienced hands. Dianne Robertson and Lynne • Pugh, unable to find their ; touch. i Pugh fouled out with eight minutes left and was followed two minutes later by Robbie Robertson for Auckland. Napier’s 10 team fouls came up with more

•five minutes left on the, ■iclock, and Auckland hung on ; I comfortably with Grayburn :; continuing to dominate '•under the basket to finish ■lwith 22 points. i 11 Nelson won the play-off, ilfor third place between thei •two losing semi-finalists, jibeating Otago 46-32, while 1 iiin a disappointing game, |New Plymouth won the sec-: t'ond division final with a 35-• ■ 21 victory’ over Rotorua. • f Results:— For fifteenth and sixteenth.— i ‘ Wairarapa 59 (S. Rimene 16, J.’ - Holdaway 12, S. Waitere II).! r Tokoroa'ss (H. Kahiri 18. L. Cow--iev 16). . For thirteenth and fourteenth.: t —Auckland B 84 il. Purcell 14,: -IN. Henrv 14, V. Munroe 14, G.i r Van ,Uden 121, Gisborne 35 (S. ■ Beattie 15). For eleventh and twelfth.— New ’.Zealand Combined Services . 59 (D. Cumming 10). Porirua 53 ’ (L. Patterson 14. P. Hippolite 121. 1 Second division final:—

. For ninth and tenth.—New Plymouth 35 (B. Mackev 8. K llaylock 81. Rotorua 21 (L. Walm «ley 8, 1. Ballantyne 3>. for seventh and eighth.—Wei lington 5u (M. Brunton 12. L Watson 10. S. McKee 10), Palm ierstvn North 4U iJ. Rosenbrook ; 19i. ; For fifth and sixth.—Hamil i ton 43 iC. Grey 18), Hutt Valley 27 (R. Ormond 81. 1 For third and fourth.—Nelson 46 >L. Wright 201. Otago 32 IP. • Wills 91. : First division final:— ! Auckland A 47 (H. Grayburn !22i. Napier 32 (D. Robertson 81. • Costello Cup (best free throw I average).—Napier). i McKay Cup (outstanding for i ward/centre). —Carolyn Graj 1 (Hamilton). i Paul Trass Cup (outstanding guard).—Dianne Robertson ' (Napier). Tournament team.—Dianne : Robertson (Napier). Robbie Rob iertson (Auckland), Carolyn Gret i (Hamilton), Linley Wright (Nel son), Tania Rimene <N.Z. Combined Services), Corrina Pote (Auckland), Marie Hoffman (Otago), Leone Patterson (Pori rua). Heather Graybum (Auckland), Debbie Smith (Rotorua).