Basketball victory likely

Press, 26 July 1986, Page 76

Basketball victory likely

By

FRANK DUGGAN

Success for Converse .Canterbury at Cowles Stadium this evening will almost assure top qualification in the Countrywide national men’s basketball league this season. Canterbury will almost certainly defeat 898 FM Hamilton to give it 15 wins from 17 matches for a total of 30 points. Hamilton has won only four matches of its 16.

However, Canterbury will have to play much better than last week when it was beaten, 88-82, by Bowater Cars Nelson. This week it has had a

couple of rigorous training sessions under its coach, Mr Gary Pettis/ Squad members were cer- ‘\ tainly given the message. Because of the airline strike in Auckland yesterday afternoon and this morning, Hamilton had to travel to Rotorua by car to catch a connecting flight to Christchurch today. Mr Darrel Todd; the Canterbury league’s publicity officer, predicts a Rams win by 15 points this evening. “The team would have come down to earth after its loss to Nelson and

Hamilton could be on the receiving end of its revenge,” he said. Mr Peter Crowhen, president of the Canterbury Basketball Association, sees Canterbury winning by nine points, 89-80. ; Canterbury will be busy about the time of the finals in Wellington on August 15 and August 16. It will play Otago at Dunedin on August 9 as a war-up, Southland at Invercargill on August 23 and then play in the Waitemata invitation tournament at Auckland on August 30 and August 31.