BASKETBALL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18137, 11 July 1933, Page 2

BASKETBALL

LOCAL COMPETITIONS TOTJBarAMBN® MBWS ApfevL FOR ACCOMMODATION Basketball competitions were continued locally ia fine weather on Saturday, but on Thursday threatening weather made conditions x-ather miserable. It is very disappointing to see so many «uls still shooting with one hand. It lakes considerable practice to master the two-handed l shot, but when achieved the advantages are well worth the work m* . volved. Players have much more control over the ball and can, hold it well away from the defender’s arms. All other basketball movements take two hands, thus making the . game more '■ evenly balanced 1 than other games where only one arm is used. If 10-year-old schoolgirls can control a shot by using two hands and l arm 3 from above the bead surely seniors could master the same action. . No further advice has been received locally regarding tournament dates, but as entries close six weeks before the tournament it should very soon bo known how many teams will be coming to Gisborne. . During the week news was received from the New' Zealand basketball executive to the effect that Nelson, Waikato, Rotorua and Bay of Plenty associations had affiliated. The affiliation of these new. associations is farther indication-of the growing popularity, of the game. Some of these new associations probably will be sending teams to the- tournament, especially those from the North Island, os travelling to Gisborne will not be too great a distance. Rotorua has long been a centre where very good basketball is played, but has had, too few teams to link up with the New Zealand association. Tli© possible entry of these now teams will mean that more billets will be required. While pooplo not connected with the game are being very generous, the local players do not seem to be able to offer many billets and once again a further appeal is made to the public for -offers of accommodation. RAISING FUNDS

High School have raised their £5 (two teams), showing onec again that, there are more ways of raising money than by parties and dances.Early in the season a successful games evening was held, but: in order .to add to their funds the teams’ members have b9on busy for some time preparing a play and concert items. As a result a very successful and' interesting concert was held in the school assembly hall on Wednesday last. Items were provided by members of the teams and numerous other willing helpers in the school. Thanks for the success of the concert are due to the rector, Mr J. Hutton, who entered 'with great enthusiasm into the plan and who succeeded in persuading nearly all the pupils to Attend; Mt Zj. Thompson,- who arranged the muffi;eal items; Mr Kcrnohah, who'presented a humorous one-act play; Mr L. Adams, who acted as announcer, and Miss M. Jlooton, with whom the entire arrangement of the fixture lay. The High School players are very popular members of thd Basketball Association,. other membors of which will gladly congratulate them on the sueicoss of their venture.- Their game, too, alwavs provides a lesson to other ■teams in‘good handling, pretty style, and clean, open play. ' All. Blacks, fostered J»y their parent .body, the Professional Athletic and (Cycling Club, are holding a dance in aid of the tournament funds, and it is hoped that ddneing ehfhnsiasts will ’ give them their support. Representative practices are being continued on Wednesflay mornings. The final team has not yet been select»d, but the same weaknesses are apparent among these players us in the weekly matches- —too little, high jumping and too little intercepting, especially in the defence. The grounds on Saturday -were not. ■left as clean and tidy ns on previmls ■playing days, and it is l hoped that, tennis responsible in future-will make more endeavor to find time to tidy up. POSITION OF COMPETITIONS The Thursday B grade competition, which is in the fourth round, stands

, The Saturday B grail* competition has reached the end- of the first' round .with the exception of one game, High School B v. Rovers,, which will nc played this week. The position of the teams is as .follows:--

SATURDAYS GAMES Result* of-Saturdays E«rrt<?»- x*re as follow * A Gind'c.—H £ .O.G. A ; defeated Zaks, 16—10; High School A lost, to St. Mary's Secondary A, 11—21; Celtic defeated Tui, 27—21. B Grad©.—Ormond defeated Ravers, ix .r ■ St. Mflry’s Secondary B defeated. St Mail’s Old Girls. .• 13-—S j , High Schooi 1i defeated Kiwi, 16— Ilk St. Marv’s Secondary B defeated Rovers. 16“*"** ■. The Saturday A grade competiition is still causing considerable intere 5t and another decision of the first rod ad was reversed on Saturday when Celtic defeated Tni by six goats. The d.efeat of Tai now places St. Mary’s Secondary A in the lead with H.S.O.G. ojlly one point behind and Tui and* Celtic equa in the third position and only one point behind H.S.O.G. ■ The defence in all the A grn<l|* games is very disappointing. The scores) are far too high and where teams acre very even in general play tile defenders do not seem to he able, to keep ithe forwards from 'getting through to the ring. On Saturday, Celtic, Tui and High School defence were noticeably ineffective, the scores, agrflnst them reaching over 20 in each ease, while the same thing has happened with'High School Old ■ Girls, all* of which teams are recognised as being /'very \ efven* Zaks seems to be the only team, with a really effective defence, and although they do not make a great score tliem■selves they cau always he relied upon to keep down their opponents' score. This weakness iu defence Jicidds ill for the local representative, team, ; whose strertgtb in other yearit,has been jin tlie . defence third. Another weakness hi local nmtdies is the lack, of- clever intercepting.. It is not enough to have good combination and to be able to pas 9 to one’s' own side, but it‘is necessary to 1 ' stop, the

passing of the other side. This involves much more running and jumping than is at present apparent. High School Old Girls v. Zaks was quite an interesting game, the score at times being much more even than when the final whistle blew. Once again Zaks demonstrated the efficiency of their defence, but were unable to score enough to equalise. In the goal-third Miss M. Bloxham played a splendid game, but much of her work was spoilt because the other forwards failed to get clear to receive her passes. This is the chief fault to be found among local goal- ' throwers—their reluctance to get clear -of the: defence and their tendency to stand behind their opponents when waiting to catch a ball. Miss G. hade plbved a good game in the centre for Zaks. . High School Old Girls were in good form and with a uniformly even team were able to defeat their opponents by a fair margin of goals gained towards the end of the game. St. Mary’s Secondary A versus High School was rather uninteresting, no brilliant patches brightening the game. Each team is capable of much faster play, and the High School game was very disappointing in comparison with their game against Celtic the previous week. St. Mary’s Secondary bad no difficulty in getting round the High School ‘defence, which was most ineffective against the speed of the Secondary forwards. High School, too, were not shooting with tho same accuracy as in the previous week. In view of the fact that High School missed many shots at (Toal the game was much moro even than the final score indicated. However, ns previously stated, it was a dull game, very little success being achieved in efforts to intercept the passes of the opposing team. , „ . ~ The consistent accuracy of St. Mary s Secondary forwards and their splendid combination was tho most noteworthy part of the game. Tuis failed to maintain, their form oi the previous week and were well beaten by Celtic, who deserved their win. Like other games of the. afternoon it lacke’d interest except from the score point of view. Celtic forwards were splendid in the’ way they combined and in. the accuracy of their'Shots, and tho Tni defence were unable to do much to stop their progress to the ring. Celtic defenders, too, allowed the losing team to score too’ many goals, the total score for the game being 48, which is ridiculously high for an even game, despite the fact that both teams were very accurate in their shots. The game was marred by a certain- amount of personal contact-, and in the centre was rather sci’ambly—very little open play being noticed. Miss M. O’Halloran, for Tuis, however, intercepted many of the high passes of the Celtic girls, who are inclined to pass rather high.

B GRADE MATCHES It was very interesting to note the improvement in the Ormond B grade team, which well deserved its win from Rovers. There Was none of that wild throwing which characterised some of their earlier games. In Saturday’s game every pass was very carefully directed from one player to the next until the ring was reached, where the forwards missed rather many chances at the goal. The next improvement to be expected in this team will bo 'a little more speed with the same accuracy, otherwise better teams will intercept’ their passes. Rovers, however, were disappointingly inaccurate in their passes, and indulged in far too many long high throws, which usually landed in their opponents’ hands. This team •has a number of players who jump and intercept really well, and if they exercised a little more care in their passing good team work should result. St. Mary’s Old Girls versus St. Mary’s Secondary B was quite an even game, but entirely lacking in excitement or any brilliant patches. Both sides were passing very carefully,, each side keeping possession of the ball until it went, out of bound's or was dropped. This Kras really where the fault of the game lay, in l tliat there was little or no intercepting of tho other side’s passes. St. 'Mary’s Secondary maintained the advantage by catching more firmly than their opponents, and therefore keeping their own side in possession longer. High School. B ran a considerable risk when they strengthened the A team from the 'B and played short themselves against Kiwi, a team whose strength at mo time' should be disparaged. The gam© was quite good for the B grade, and comparatively fast. Kiwi’s played a hard game, but were unable to get round the High School defence, which sent the ball back to the centre time and time again when Kiwi’s were near to scoring. The two High l School forwards, Misses N. Griffiths and I*. Prentice, very cleverly worked round the three Kiwi defenders and, much to their -credit, scored 16 times to Kiwi’s 11.

St. Mary’s Secondary School B team had their second win of the day when they defeated Rovers by 16 to 7. As in the first game, Rovers were handicapped by their own carelessness in passing, hub at the same time they were able to intercept many of the St. Maiy’s •Secondary passes. However, the school team had' much superior combination and too many times the ball travelled straight to their goal without being touched by Rovers. The latter team has neither the experience nor the opportunities for practice of the school team, and probably will improve considerably before the end of the season.

THIS WEEK’S GAMES The following is the draw for this week’s games , , —Thursday— A Grade. —ITuia v. Cash Stores, Mo. 1. ground, 2 p.m., Miss E. Wallace; ExCash Stores v. Triangle A, No. ], 2.45 ip.rii.,, -Mrs. R. Cole ; Athletic B v. Brdwhjes, No; 2. 2.45 p.m.. Mr. G. Ansell • H.S.O.G. v. Athletic A. No. 1, ,3.30 p.m., Miss C. Mead; St. Mary’s Secondary School A, a hyc. ft Oracle. —Olympic v. All Blacks, No. <2, 2 p.m., Mr. G. Ansell; St. Marys Secondary School 15 v. Triangle B, No. ■2, 3.30 p.m., Miss L. Pickard, i Linesmen.—Misses L. Eclelsten, AL McKinley (2 p.m.), 1). Cameron, G. Bissenden (2.45 p.m,),,- I. Somervell, Al. Smith (2.45 p.m.), B. Walker, Al. AfcLeod (3:30 p.m.) Groundsmen.—Olympic team. —Saturday— A Grade.—Tni v. St. Alary’s Secondary School A No. 1,2 p.m., Air. c\ Righv; High l School A v. Zak’s, No. 1. .45 p.m., Aliss C. Miller ; H.S.O.G. A v. Celtic, No. 1, 3.30 p.m.-. Afiss C. Mead. B Grade.—High School B v. Rovers. No. 2,2 p.m., Air. Wallace; St. Mary's Secondary School B v. All Blacks, No. 2, 2.45 p.m., Mr. Anderson; Kiwi v. St. Mary’s Old Girls, No. 2, 3.30 p.m., Mr 1 . Brnnsden; H.S.O.G. B v. Rovers, No; 3, 3 p.m., Air. Crawford-Smitli ; Ormond, a bye. Linesmen.—Misses H. BigneJl, G. Henderson (2 p.m.}, A. Niven, Airs. C. Williamson (2.45 p.m.), Misses AL Bloxham, AL Clarke (3.30 p.m.) Groundsmen.—Zak's team.

as follows:— ‘Games. r, w. D. L. Pts. St. M.S.S. (B) . Olympic . 10* s 0 2 16 . 10 4: 1 5 0 All Blacks . 10 4 0 6 8 Triangle B . 10 3 16 7

Gamps. V. w. i). L. rts. fit. M.S.S. (B) .. T 7 0 0 14 High School B .. 6 5 0 1 10 H.S.O.O. (B) .. 7 41 - 9 Ormond 7 »> 0 4 ti Kiwi 7 9 1 4 ."i All BIftvk* 7, o0 a 4 8t. Mary's O.G. . 72 0 5 4 Hovers 6 0 2 4 ~