LAST WEEK’S BASKETBALL MATCHES

Southland Times, Issue 22969, 15 August 1936, Page 20

LAST WEEK’S BASKETBALL MATCHES

Town Teams In <he Country

(By

“Defence.”)

The New Zealand basketball tournament will start on Wednesday, August 26, at Christchurch. There was a general exodus of teams from Invercargill last week, and as the day was fine and calm everyone had an enjoyable time. The second grade representatives travelled to Seaward Downs and defeated the Menzies Association team by 23 to 6. Reports of the game, however, state that this score was not a true indication of the strength of the home team. The team suffers from inexperience, but has the right idea of tactics and with further practice and a second season this team should be a really good one. The Bluff team travelled to play Menzies second team, and though the score was very even the game was poor because Bluff played so badly. One spectator said that she wondered how this team was so high in the weekly competitions. However, all enjoyed themselves, had a delightful afternoon tea and look forward to meeting this new association next year.

S.G.H.S. represented Southland against South Otago at Balclutha. Last year was the first time this fixture was held. The South Otago team then came to Invercargill and played the third grade team. The South Otago team has improved a good deal and it would probably be worthwhile to call this a second grade fixture for the future. The game on Saturday was good, S.G.H.S. playing a much improved game, the forward third combining a good deal better than it usually does. The field work of South Otago was definitely better than last year and had its forwards been able to shoot more accurately, South Otago might easily have won instead of losing by 12 to 11. P. Middleditch and L. Scott (South Otago) were good in the centre and intercepted many promising movements by S.G.H.S. B. Mitchell was a good defender and spoilt many attempts at goal. E. Mclnnes was shooting well and was responsible for about half the goals scored, mostly from difficult positions. S.G.H.S. is best in the defence third; these young players should improve in the near future. S.G.H.S. led by 9 to 6 in the first half, and it was this lead which gave it victory. Miss Kidd controlled the game. Match at Balfour. Makarewa represented Southland at Balfour against Northern. This also was a good game and the Northern team, improving as the game progressed, turned a draw', 6-6, at half-time into a win, 16-13. It would appear that we might well have sent our second grade team to play this game. A Northern forward, F. Grant, has a peculiar s.yie, but she can shoot goals. I do hope, however, that she will take time next year to learn to use both hands. H. Stevens (defence) and R. Wilson (centre) have the best idea of the game in the Northern team, while N. Young, if she will listen to her coach, should develop into an outstanding forward. The Makarewa team was on the whole a good deal smaller; it had more finished passing movements but could not shoot accurately. It is surprising that when w r e try to grade the country teams with our own, we can never arrive at any accurate basis. Here one of the leading teams in the third grade is defeated by Northern. Another is defeated by Menzies second team, and yet when these teams are placed in the second grade for any tournament they cannot win.

Northern had asked for an exhibition game and two teams, Kiwi and St. Mary’s (first grade), also travelled on Saturday. The games between these two teams have been most interesting. In the first two matches the result was a draw and in the third Kiwi won, while on Saturday the score was 14-6 in favour of St. Mary’s. This was due mainly to the fact that Kiwi seemed to feel the court too short, and was always overplaying its thirds. I am not sure that exhibition games which entail so much travelling are of any special value. The teams leave early, having had little or no lunch, and sometimes suffer from this travelling, so that the game is not as good as it should be. The same thing happened last year when Collegiate and Rata travelled to Papatotara. The day was fine, but there was snow on the hills all round and a cold wind did not add to the pleasure of the spectators. Afternoon tea was thoroughly enjoyed. For the last two seasons Southland rias pa d the annual New Zealand fees for their Association and we hope that next year it will be so far established as to be able entirely to finance itself. Rosedale, which will win the third grade competition, travelled to Tapanui to play the West Otago team. This again meant an early start, and the team was welcomed with afternoon tea, which was much appreciated. The game was played on courts with a decided slope, which was a little disconcerting. The West Otago team has been very well coached with a well worked out plan of attack. The centres always got the ball from the throwoff and in the forward third have an uncanny way of not being where their opponents expect, and so getting possession of the ball. The game was very speedy and had many interesting movements. The score was 9-9 at halftime, with West Otago definitely on the attack. A fairly strong breeze sprang up during the second half, and this was most troublesome at the West Otago goal, so that the forwards had difficulty in shooting and Rosedale won by 24 to 15. After the game the teams had tea together and the Southland girls arrived home about 8 p.m.

Games in Town. A mild warm afternoon greeted players in Invercargill last week, but the courts were very quiet indeed. There were no second or third grade matches and in the first grade Makarewa defaulted to Rata, and Collegiate B to Collegiate A. However, the results of the games in the fourth and fifth grades were interesting because of the positions of the leading teams. In the fifth grade a match which might have been anybody’s ended in a draw for Bluff against Greenhills. If Bluff had paid a little more attention to the game and watched the ball more carefully, it would have won. This draw will probably cost it its chance of winning the fifth grade, as did the default by Greenhills last week. Makarewa won its

game and this puts it now one point in the lead. In the fourth grade interest centred round the game between the tw’o leading teams, H. and J.’s and St. Mary’s. ' I don’t quite know why H. and J.’s won, i unless it was that St. Mary’s defence could not cope with a tall forward with a peculiar method of shooting which, I however, was successful. St. Mary’s . has the better style and better combin- | ation. It was an interesting game in j that St. Mary’s is a team _of young 1 players, most of whom were in the fifth I grade last year and H. and J.’s players I are older girls whose team has been going down, having played second grade | some years ago, been third, and now fourth. I hope this success will eni courage it to return to the third grade I next year. H. and J.’s would do much i better if it could enter two teams. It I would mean someone with whom to t practise and would give the coach some chance of working out combination and I passing movements. First Grade Representative Team. I I saw the representatives for a little : while at practice last Tuesday. They I are now all very fit and ready for the • tournament. It is rather sad to relate, I however, that they played a game | against the Rest, which called itself I “Wellington,” and they lost. I have ! not inquired as to how this happened, ' but I know that “Wellington” was ■ pleased with itself, and that both teams ' thoroughly enjoyed the game. The team leaves here on Tuesday week and I commences games on Wednesday. Un- ' fortunately we still do not know ■’ whether the games are to be played in two or three grades, and have not seen the draw. The secretary has written to ask, as it would be of interest to us I all to have it published. i The team is trying to raise enough ! money to pay boarding expenses in ■ Christchurch and for this purpose is i organizing a picture benefit for next i week. Will you all hurry and buy your I tickets and will all those who have i ticket money return it to Mrs Challis ! to-day at the courts. The manage- • merit is anxious to know how the ; tickets are going. On the night of the : performance all tickets unsold (of which of course there won’t be any) and the remaining money must be handed in. Mrs Challis will be at the. theatre to receive it. The dinner will be held on September 9 and the opportunity will be taken by bidding farewell to your president, I who will not be here next year. If i you want invitations you must let the ' secretary know at once, as only a lim- ! ited number of people can be invited. Will those who hold trophies return i them to-day, if possible, in order that ' they may be engraved. Referees’ Examination. j Give rulings for the following:— ; (1) The players are bunched, under the goal and a member of B’s team ' goes round the outside of the goal post. A member of A’s team is preparing to shoot. As A has the ball and is not evidently being obstructed allow ’ the game to proceed. i (2) A player several feet from the goal deliberately bounces the ball against the pole and gains possession near the goal. Penalize the player for playing the ball twice before another player has handled it. (3) The scorer’s bell sounds while A is preparing to shoot; a goal is scored before the referee’s whistle blows. Count the goal, as the referee’s whistle is the official end of the game. (4) There is a tie-ball near the sideline, and the referee takes the “throwup” from the inside of the players. He thus blocks A team. A team loses the game by 10 to 9 and protests, quoting this instance as a reason: The protest would be dealt with by the executive, and should be upheld as the referee was wrong. He should have stood on the side where he wouldn’t be in the way of the players. (5) A member of A’s team takes a shot at goal and scores just as the referee’s whistle goes for a penalty against a defender of B’s team. If a goal is scored count it, if not give the penalty. (6) A takes a throw-in. In attempting to catch the throw, two players collide. A already in the count takes the ball. Penalize A for playing the ball, before it has been caught by another player. (7) A and B are opponents near a third line, and collide as they reach to secure a pass. B goes over the line with the ball. If the collision was an accident, then B would be penalized for going over the line. If B pushed A, then A would be penalized for pushing.

(8) A and B are the centres of opposing teams in correct positions for the commencement of the game, A taking the throw. The referee’s whistle sounds. Before A gets rid of the ball, B has taken her foot from the centre line. The rule book is a little vague on this point. B can move at any time and so taking her foot from the line was all right, but there is nothing to say that A may not move her foot until she has thrown the ball. Actually in practice so far as I know this is always penalized. (9) A throws a ball low, and it bounds off her opponent’s foot. There is no infringement, and the game continues. (10) B. a defender, accidently hits the ball through A’s goal. The goal is counted. Question two was a set of short questions on technical details which everyone knew. For example, what distance must players stand apart for a throw-up? Eighteen inches. Must a throw-in always be guarded? Except when a team is playing short, yes. Is possession gained by one or two hands? Either. Must a girl throwing in at the centre third, throw to a player in that third? No. Question three was for a definition of blocking, overguarding and double foul with a good example of each. The definitions will be found in the rule book. The examples given were on the whole poor, but referees should from their own experience be able to give adequate ones. Question four was a very easy question concerning the court and its equipment. Every referee should know all these details and they will be found in the rule book. This was an easy paper and the marks gained were very much higher than last year.