BASKET BALL

Southland Times, Issue 20526, 30 June 1928, Page 19 (Supplement)

BASKET BALL

(By

“Defence.”

To-day I hope is the last time this season that there will be any necessity to talk of money, so please bring all your friends to the Victoria Hall and sell everything that is still on the stalls. Next week I shall publish the amount collected by each club, in order that every basketballer may see how the money was raised.

All the money for votes together with any unsold books must be handed in tonight not later than 9.30 p.m. Hand in your vote money as you collect it to facilitate the counting sa that the result may be announced before the bazaar closes. The position of the clubs in this competition will be posted up at regular intervals during the afternoon and evening. In future there will be no representative practice after matches either on Wednesday or Saturday, but there will be two week night practices Tuesday and Thursday from 6—7p.m. Tonight before the bazaar closes the names of the 18 players whom the sei ector (Miss Greig) has chosen for rep. trials will be announced. Any player in this list who knows that she cannot travel to Auckland at the end of August will please let Miss Greig at once. The names of the

twelve playezs who are picked as the representative team, will be published in this column at least a week before the match with Otago.

The annual fixture between Otago and Southland will be played on the Waihopai School court on Saturday, July 28. It is most unfortunate that the association cannot play the game on any ground where it is possible to charge admission. This would be an admirable opportunity of making some money for touring expenses or for the entertainment of visiting teams. On this occasion the executive will have to content itself with a collection. There is a suggestion that the Secondary Schools .Association should be asked to stage a match as a curtain raiser to the big game. Nowadays one hears so little of either of the Schools’ Associations that it would be a good thing if some such game could be arranged. No finality has been reached yet as regards the exact dates of the tournament in Auckland. The suggested dates on Wednesday August 22, Saturday August 25, are most unsuitable for both Otago and Southland especially for Southland. The Southland team would have to leave here by the night express on Sunday which would mean a whole day spent in Christchurch, another in Wellington, having to play the afternoon of the day they arrived. No team however fit could possible play anything like a good game under those conditions. An effort is being made to have the first day of the tournament, Friday August 24 in which case the team would leave here on August 21.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS. POSITIONS OF TEAMS FOR THE ANDERSON CUP. SATURDAY COMPETITION.

The points for the Royds Shield show the clubs still at an interesting stage, so that it is impossible to tell yet which club will be the winner at the end of the season. Collegiate 35, Rata 32, Makarewa 31, Kiwi 24, Pirates 18, Bluff 18.

The games here last Saturday were played under most unfavourable conditions, the grounds being very wet and a heavy shower delayed the games for about ten minutes. However, all the games were played with every girl in her place. St. Peter’s does some startling things which do not appear on the table of points. Their game with Makarewa was the closest game that team has had this season. The fourth round for this season begins to-day, thus there is a possibility that this team may yet suffer a defeat, when St. Peter’s meet them again. Emma Mitchell scored the goals this week so that the team was not strengthened in any way.

Collegiate defeated Rosedale, due possibly to the inclusion of C. Shaw in their team. Last time these teams met Rosedale won even though they played one member short. Much time was lost in both these games because the ball became heavy and slippery very early in the afternoon, making catching a difficult feat, with the result of a good deal of scrambling. Makarewa caught balls better than any of the other intermediate teams.

The same difficulty was of course experienced with the senior teams. Makarewa and Pirates had in spite of the condition of the ball, quite a quick game with some good passing. The seniors as well as the intermediates showed that they could catch a greasy ball. D. Dennis was as usual playing a good game—she really is a fine centre player if one could only be certain that she would not revert to that long pass when up against a strong team. On Saturday however, the centres combined well. Rur Spencer is a quick side centre and she is getting balls from D. Dennis much better now than earlier in the season. A. Roberts and L. McGregor (Pirates) both played well and were responsible for not allowing M. Wright to add further to the score for Makarewa. L. McGregor would be among the best defences if she were quicker in her court and would jump for the ball.

St. Mary’s are adding slowing to their total scores and each week one feels that success is very near for them. The centre’s their weakness, although I haven’t decided how it could be strengthened, but with Julia Cahill and May Mahoney in the shooting third, they can score if they get the ball. Collegiate pass well if a little too slowly, but Lesley St rat hem is not catching at all surely and this is a weakness in the centre.

The most interesting game this season was played at Bluff where the court was dry and the sun shining. The game was most disappointing, although sometimes quite interesting. Rata had altered its team in the goal third with the idea of strengthening it, but exactly the opposite was the result. Mary Rodger and Stella Murdock who combined so well with Raynlss Murdock in the match against High School were completely lost with B. Wall even though this player is a likely Rep. The result was that when the ball was in the shooting third Rata could not score. During the first half especially the game was fairly even all over the field, but the Bluff balls found the ring. Rata lost the toss, and so had the sun on their goal during the first, half, while during the second half it had practically disappeared. B. Bailey batted the ball at the throw up but C. Fowler or L. Gilson always caught and it was in large measure due to M. Royds that Bluff didn’t have it more often. C. Wiig and her sister I. Wiig played the best defence game I have seen this year. They were both very quick and very sure with their catching. They were a pleasure to > watch. G. Basstian is not one of the best idefence players in Southland, but. she played hard and to some purpose against Bluff’s shooting trio who are a strong combination. B. Bailey was much too strong for M. Basstian who nevertheless played all the time until she had to retire because of a knock which caused her nose to bleed. Iris McDonald took her place and during the short time she was on the field ably helped the team. Bluff although they as usual threw long balls made fewer mistakes than did Rata. From the throw in Rata allowed Bluff to catch the ball and even from unguarded passes Rata failed to secure the ball, whereas Bluff caught everything. I believe they won on the very good display of accurate

catching. The game was quick all the time and there was no overguarding noticeable to the referee anyway, and not much personal contact. This game really decided the winner of the Saturday competitions as it is very unlikely now that any team will beat Bluff. Later I hope to see this team play both High School and Kiwi which are the leading teams in the Wednesday competition. Molly Williamson who played for lona two years ago and who has recently returned to town, is again taking up the game and appeared for Pirates last Saturday. Molly Williamson was one of the first Reps, for Southland and so has been included in Rep. practices this week. F. Todd has transferred from Rata to Pirates and also played in the shooting third for that team on Saturday. Matches on Wednesday were played in brilliant sunshine and in consequence some • good basketball was witnessed.- Pirates and ‘ Kiwi had a very good game which was i most even. For several minutes after play commenced the ball passed swiftly up and down the field with no scores. This was due to the very good defence work in both teams. A. McGavock was playing quite as good a game as C. Wiig on Saturday. A. MdGavock is getting wonderfully quick on the field and the sureness with which she got the ball away from the goal throwers was a pleasure to watch. Audrey Abbey Jones had a very difficult time altogether. A. Roberts and L. McGregor both spoiled many goals for Kiwi, but most noticeably during-the second spell Kiwi put in some neat passing in their goal third and so added quickly to their score. At the centre, I. Dempster caught the ball most often but she did not get it to either of her side centres at all surely. Doris Roberts who has been on the sick list all this season

j played her first game as side centre for i Pirates. I During the first half of the game bei tween Makarewa and Rata, Rata seemed not to be able to do anything with the ball I at all. They missed shots at goal and j often had their parses intercepted, but 1 during the second spell they appeared to gain confidence and the centre third which is a strong combination got away from the Makarewa trio. There is a great improvement in the combination of the centre third of Makarewa. Miss Spencer and R. Waldron get the balls sent to them by D. Dennis and thus Mabel Wright is kept well supplied with the ball. St. Mary’s had a much stronger combination on Wednesday than they could hope to beat, but it says something for the improvement this team shows when they could score 6 goals against N. Clare and N. Rodger. Much interest was shown in the game between St. Peter’s and Collegiate and Collegiate’s win now puts them in the lead by 2 points. The chief faults in the game were what are usual in all intermediate game”, continual overguarding and personal contact, and wild throwing. Nevertheless I the game was quite interesting to watch and very much better than intermediate games in previous years in Southland, and Collegiate especially were responsible for neat passing at times. Collegiate have a good defence third. Phyllis Sloan is worthy of mention, because at the beginning of the season she seemed to be able to do so little ! with the ball and on Wednesday she showed good form. Alice Taylor did good work for St. Peter’s in the defence and Annie McAra has a very good style as jumping i centre for this team. I Rata Intermediate played much better : than I have seen them play this year. It I is to be hoped that they will continue at

Wednesday’s form when they meet a stronger team. It is the first time I have seen anything that could be called passing and their catching was much better. C. Bailey appeared happier in the centre than she does when she is in defence.

j Collegiate had a bye and accepted an in--1 vitation from Limehills to play a friendly match there. The court there is too short which makes good passing rather difficult. Collegiate won 13 —9 and Mabel Humphries was responsible for most of their goals while in the Limehills team the honours were shared equally by the three shoots. Collegiate gave a display of short quick passing which was quite effective, giving M. Humphries the ball of which she made good use. N. Grant who plays a good game, spoilt much of her work by continually throwing over the centre third. If she would ; learn to make her throws much shorter, she would be a great asset to her team. The following girls played for Limehills (colour black and white) : E. Payne, W. Wilson, W. Crowe, M. Payne, A. Bromley, M. Dixon, G. Casey, N. Grant, M. Wilson. Mr. Lewis refereed the game and the town team was afterwards entertained at afternoon tea. The whole afternoon was greatly enjoyed by everyone and the association hopes to arrange similar games for Limehills Club.

The voting up till Thursday evening was as follows: Bluff, Rata, Progressive, St. Peter’s, Kiwi, Pirates, Central Methodist.

P. W. Points L. D. For Agst Ch Bluff .. .. 9 9 — — 141 59 18 Collegiate .. 9 9 — 3 78 49 12 Rata .. 9 6 — 3 63 61 12 Makarewa .. . . 9 4 — 5 91 106 8 Pirates .. 9 3 Q 66 83 6 St. Mary’s .. 9 0 — 9 30 104 0 WEDNESDAY COMPETITION. Kiwi 7 6 — 1 87 56 12 High School .. . 7 5 1 1 110 69 11 Pirates .. 7 4 — 3 76 57 8 Rata .. .. 7 4 1 2 90 72 9 Makarewa .. 7 3 — 4 87 79 6 Collegiate .. .. . 6 1 — 5 56 91 2 St. Mary’s .. 7 - — 7 32-122 0 POSITION OF TEAMS FOR THE GALLOWAY SHIELD. Makarewa .. 9 8 1 — 105 61 17 Collegiate .. . .9 3 1 5 56 62 7 Rosedale .. .. . 9 4 1 4 81 67 9 St. Peter’s .. 9 1 1 7 53 87 3 WEDNESDAY COMPETITION. Collegiate 8 7 — 1 106 30 14 St. Peter’s . 8 6 — 2 76 44 ! ' Kiwi . . . 8 6 — 2 63 33 12 Rata . . . 8 5 1 2 74 35 ii Progressive 8 4 — 4 58 46 8 Pirates .. .. 8 1 2 5 72 84 4 Central . . 8 1 1 6 33 76 3 St. Mary’s . . 8 0 — 8 14 128 0