Games lead to showdown

Press, 4 May 1981, Page 24

Games lead to showdown

Interest in the men's CooperHenderson division one basketball competition intensified on Saturday as teams played the second-last matches in the first round of the competition. United Service-Aranui recorded a good win against its bitter adversary’, Continental Caterers-Rangi-ora. 55-46, while Butlers Auto Spares-Y.M.C.A. pushed Chateau Regency-University close, before going down, 49-40. Mairehau had little difficulty downing Checkers. 78-57. Aranui’s win put it firmly at the head of the table with five wins from five matches and much interest will now surround its mid-week match against Vistalite-H.5.0.8. on Wednesday. Old Boys are second on the table, having had a bye on Saturday, and have the advantage of beating Aranui in the final of the Easter tournament. The match could be the showdown of the season. : With only one night’s competition to go in the first round, interesting comparisions are being drawn between the various teams. Aranui. predictably, had the best offence with 335 points so far this season and fhp pnnal host defonM

reason ana me equal nest defence, conceding only 258 points. Old Boys were a close second with 330 points and 258 respectively. Other teams were: Mairehau, 314-296; University. 312273; Checkers, 283-442; Rahgiora, 259-269; Y.M.C.A., 225-268. The team with the worst fouling record was Mairehau with 89 team fouls this season, followed closely by Aranui and Checkers on 88. Other teams were: Y.M.C.A. 72, University 68, Old Boys 63, Rangiora 56. • The leading scorer this season is Kelvin Duff (Old Boys) with 81 points, closely followed by the New Zealand cap, John , Rademakers (Aranui) with 78, and Matt Ruscoe (University) on 77. . Other leading scorers were: Mike : Seaward (Mairehau) 75; Brent Cummack and Lance Dixon (Rangiora) both 65; Bert Knops (Aranui) 64; Bede Hall (Mairehau) 63; Gilbert Gordon (University) 62; Andy Bennett. (Aranui) and Ed Manco (Old Boys) 59. interest will be high in Wednesday night’s games when Aranui and Old Boys play virtually for first

and second, University and Rangiwa for the third spot, and Mairehau and Y.M.C.A. for fifth. UNITED SERVICE-ARANUI 55: (B. Knops 17, J. Rademakers 14. A. Bennett 10, P. Vos 8, A. Campbell 4), CONTINENTAL CATERERSRANGIORA 46 (B. Cummack 16, J. Hill 11. S. Nuku 6, J. London and L. Dixon 4, A. Robson 3. S. Clark 2). Aranui looked much sharper in this time than in previous division one games. There was no hesitancy , in its offence and it controlled play for most of the game. The 7ft import, Paul Vos, had his best game yet for Aranui with eight points and patches of solid rebounding. Aranui could have had a more comfortable win but for the deadly shooting of Rangiora’s Brent Cummack, who got eight successive points from almost the same position at one stage during the second half.

Rangiora lifted its game to plav on Aranui’s terms, but turnovers at crucial times during the game probably cost the match. Aranui’s inside defence kept the high-scoring Lance Dixon awav from the inside position where he has led Rangiora in scoring this season. Dixon managed only four points. CHATEAU REGENCY-UNIVER-SITY 49 (M. Ruscoe 13. G. Gordon 9. R. Ruwhui 8. J. Caldwell 66. R. Parkinson 5, A. Guillen and J. Wright 4) BUTLER’S AUTO SPARES Y.M.C.A. 40 (G. Atvars 15. C. Green 14, T. Neumann 9. P. Cook and I. Webb 6, J. Bosch and C. Dobbs 2). Y.M.C.A. never gave up on this game and with eight minutes to go had their best chance to beat University, which led only 36-38. Then the University captain. Matt Ruscoe. went to work, playing hard on offence, taking some physical punishment, but scoring vital’baskets. Along with Gilbert Gordon, who was to foul out shortly before the end of the match. Ruscoe put paid to Y.M.C.A.’s hopes. The relatively low scoring game produced no outstanding plavers.

VIVUUI.UU HM vuww uuing uiayci.a, but for Y.M.C.A. Chris Green played his consistently strong basketball to finish with 14 points and Guntis Atvars rose to the occasion with his 15 points. MAIREHAU 78 (B. Hall 19, M. Hall 14, M. Seaward 13, D. Burghart 11. B. Fifield 9, P. Kearney 8, H. McDonald 4), CHECKERS 57 (P. J. Ward 24, P. Daigneault 13, J. Scarborough 12, R. Keenan 4, I. Watson and P. Trass 2).

Mairehau never looked likely to lose this game although Checkers fought the whole way. Outstandingin Checkers’ effort was P. J. Ward, who made one of his all-too-rare appearances for the beleaguered team and scored 24 points. Most of these were from fast-breaks or his soft touch bank-shot. At one stage in the second half he scored 10 points in four minutes. For Mairehau. the Hall brothers, Bede and Mathew, and the captain, Mike Seaward, were outstanding. With their uncanny knack for scoring baskets from improbable spots or situations, the Halls added interest to a very average game.

Lower grade results.— Division two.—Burnside A 40, Checkers B 38; Y.M.C.A.-Winstone 82, Aranui B 50; University B 60, Taxes A 49. Division three.—A grade: University C 42, Lincoln College 40; C.B.H.A. A 51, Riccarton A 33; H. 5.0.8. B 56, Mairehau B 44; • Y.M.C.A. 73. Dukes 36. B grade: Burnside B 50, H. 5.0.8. 37; Mairehau High 36, Aranui C 35; Wigram 95, C.B.H.S. B 25; Hagley ' 36, Taxes B 25. Division four.—Seekers 40, Police 21; Deaf Boys A 27, Southern 7 27; Eric 16, Hillmorton 0.8. 15; Air N.Z. 39, B.N.Z. 22. Division five.—Media 24, Hotshots 20; 1.8. M. 29, Te Kaihanga 14; Rehua 41, Albatross 15; Riccarton B 27, Kevstars 8. Division six —Toe H 21, Ashley 9, Railway 20, Rothmans 16; Mount Cook 27, Deaf Boys B 16.