Tough clash

Press, 2 August 1985, Page 4

Tough clash

By

FRANK DUGGAN

The Converse Canterbury men’s basketball team flew into Wellington last evening grimly determined to be the first South Island side to win the national Countrywide league championship at the week-end. At nine o’clock this evening in the revamped Wellington Show and Sports Centre, Canterbury will face the defending champion, Exchequer Saints (Wellington), a formidable challenge in a semi-final that could go either way — although Saints has twice beaten Canterbury this year. If successful, Canterbury will then play the winner of the earlier semi-final, DB Auckland and Hamilton Supersport, in the grand final to-

morrow evening. The Centre’s new court, the biggest in Australia and New Zealand, is the only inter-national-sized court in both countries and was praised after an exhibition match on Tuesday evening, the first play on the court. Canterbury’s chances against Saints improved this week with the announcement that the high-scoring guard, Richard Philp, will not be playing because of injury. Also, Frank Mulvihall is not fully fit and a question mark remains against another excellent guard, Rick Wineera, who was earlier in the week suspended for one match because of an incident in the Saints-New Plymouth on July 20. Canterbury’s prospects, Page 8