University now shares lead

Press, 27 June 1983, Page 21

University now shares lead

It was a day of slight drama on Saturday when only two of the scheduled four matches were played in the Canterbury senior men’s basketball competition for the Alan Hoben Trophy. A flu-ridden Continental Caterers-Rangiora had to default to Aranui and the Vistal-ite-High School Old Boys game against Butler Auto SparesY.M.C.A. was postponed because Cowles Stadium was needed in mid-afternoon for the erection of additional seating for the league match later in the evening. Collins Real Estate-Univer-sity won its third game in a row, this time at the expense of Y.M.C.A., and moved into a three-way tie with Old Boys and Edgeware Service StationMairehau at the head of the competition. The three sides have 14 points each, but Mairehau has played one more game. Aranui (12 games), and Y.M.C.A. (nine games), are next with 10 points. On Saturday, Mairehau ran up a 36-19 lead against Checkers in the first half, but then a continued lapse of effort in the second spell almost cost them its seventh win of the season. Growing with confidence as the gap narrowed, Checkers scored 36 points to Mairehau's

21 in the second halt and just failed, losing by two points, 5557. At the 9 o’clock game at Pioneer Stadium, Y.M.C.A. was all efficiency in the first 13 minutes and led, 24-12. Then University applied a press and kept it up until half-time. Y.M.C.A. could not handle the move and had only a 30-29 lead at the break. Controlled offence and defence by University in the last 20 minutes was too consistent for Y.M.C.A., and Varsity finally won, 59-54. Results: University 59, Y.M.C.A. 54; Mairehau 57, Checkers 55; Aranui won by default over Rangiora; .the H.5.0.8.-Y.M.C.A. has been nostponed.

University 59, Y.M.C.A. 54 University: C. Crampton 20, J. Caldwell 10, J. Wright 9, A. Guillen 8, D. Burtenshaw, P. Mulvihill 4 each, S. Clark,

T. Thodey 2 each. Y.M.C.A.: B. Duggan, M. Turner 12 each, J. Bosch 9, G. Atvars 7, C. Dobbs 6, G. Pierce 4, P. Dobbs, P. Cook 2 each. Half time 30-29 (Y.M.C.A.). University continued its charge towards competition honours with a narrow but deserved win over an erratic Y.M.C.A. University’s chances looked fairly precarious when Y.M.C.A. went out to a 24-12 lead. But then University smartly put it all together and in a space of a few minutes trailed by only one point at the interval. In the second half, Y.M.C.A. lapsed into persistent shooting errors, while University's solid and well-directed pattern repeatedly upset its rival’s comeback. Key men for University were Colin Crampton, John Caldwell, John Wright and Andy Guillen. They were an excellent quartet and the men responsible for first making up a sizeable deficit, and then building on what proved an unbeatable advantage. Crampton’s 20 points were achieved with style and Caldwell was the other doublefigure scorer with 10. Y.M.C.A.’s inconsistency throughout the season was

never better illustrated. From a display of quality and substance, it fell apart in the final 25 minutes and was not helped by countless wasted scoring chances. The captain, Murray Turner (12 points), was an enigma: he played in patches, but they were not frequent enough. Bill Duggan shared the main scoring, but here again several simple errors spoilt an otherwise fine effort. Chris Dobbs and Guntis Atvars were also patchy. Mairehau 57, Checkers 55 Mairehau: M. Seaward 20, B. Hall 16, B. Fifield 6, P. Kearney 5, M. Hall 4, P. Daignault, R. Keenen, G. Thomson 2 each. Checkers: P. Ward 14, J. Piket, P. McGrath 12 each, M. Corkery, S. Edwards 8 each, S. O’Leary 1. Half-time: 36-19 (Mairehau). Over-confidence was mainly responsible for Mairehau going off the boil in the second half of its game with Checkers and it nearly cost victory. With Mike Seaward and league squad member, Bede Hall, combining beautifully, Mairehau stormed to a 36-19

half-time lead. It looked more than sufficient for an easy win — Mairehau won the first clash in late May, 74-44 — but in the end it was Checkers who did most of the attacking and pressured Mairehau into a series of errors. It was only Seaward who continued in the second half the way he had left off. When he chose to drive to the basket, the Checkers players appeared to be mesmerised and opened the gaps. He could have done with a lot more support. Hall’s first-half effort was outstanding, but he chose to take a much quieter role later. Still his 16 points, some of them from a distance, ably assisted Seaward’s 20 points in Mairehau’s effort to tie the competition lead. After showing so much promise in its previous two games, Checkers looked a second-rate side for a good half of the game. Apart from Peter Ward, there was little drive in or near the keyhole. Ward’s persistence and striving eventually rubbed off on some of his fellow players, and the last 15 minutes saw only one team in it. Both the men’s and women’s competitions have been suspended next Saturday because of national league matches at Cowles Stadium.

COMPETITION POINTS ARE: P W L F A Pt H.S.O.B. 10 7 3 623 540 14 Mairehau 11 7 4 660 641 14 University 10 7 3 567 524 14 Aranui 12 5 7 666 653 10 Y.M.C.A. 9 5 4 499 464 10 Checkers 11 3 8 605 686 6 Rangiora 11 3 8 533 647 6