BASKETBALL AT DUNEDIN

Southland Times, Issue 25746, 9 August 1945, Page 9

BASKETBALL AT DUNEDIN

REVIEW OF GAME WITH OTAGO By DEFENCE' By their decisive win last Saturday in the annual basketball match at Dunedin against Southland, Otago showed that they have a first class representative team this year. The fault of stepping mars their fast work, but if they can eradicate it and at the same time maintain the form they have already displayed, Otago have an excellent chance of winning the New Zealand Cup at Christchurch this year. Actually the game was more even than the scores suggest, but the equality of the two teams in most departments of play was heavily discounted by the outstanding quality of the Otago forward third. , In the second grade game the result was a decisive victory for Southland. Play opened slowly in this match, and it was some time before there was any really useful play. Before the. end of the first half the Southland girls had definitely established their superiority and, apart from a certain amount of inaccuracy at goal, they played good sound basketball. The half-time score was Southland 9, Otago 5. In the second spell Otago were completely outclassed and Southland’s combination, court position, and passing gave them a decisive win by 18 goals to 9. OTAGO SETS PACE A high standard of basketball was reached in the first grade match. Winning the toss, Otago took the throwoff and scored immediately, their courtwork and ball-handling showing timing and precision. They set the pace throughout and for the first 10 minutes, Southland was outclassed in every respect. They seemed to lack, the ability to get their team functioning and it was not until the score was 9 goals to 1 in favour of Otago that they began to play up to their usual standard. At half-time the score was 11-4 in Otago s favour, but in the five minutes preceding’ half-time Southland began to play at the top of their form. In the second half, Southland set the pace and fully extended the Otago team. However, the Otago forwards, J. Roydhouse, J. Mayhew and E. Struthers—three outstanding players—were an invulnerable third. The Southland backs found them difficult to defend and the ball g<?t through to them steadily from splendid throw-offs. The final score was: Otago 24; SouthIt was the twentieth annual match between the two unions for the Southland Cup. The cup has been won 11 times by Otago, seven times by Southland and twice it has been held jointly by the two teams. Southland won the cup in 1942, but since then Otago have won it three years in succession. The teams which played last Saturday were:—

Southland. — Forwards: W. Sadlier (captain), J. McKay, M. McNaughton. Centres: D. Baird, M. Stewart, E. Walker. Defence: M. Jensen, I. Jennings, H. McKay. . Otago.—Forwards: E. Struthers, J. Roydhouse (captain), J. Mayhew. Centres: K. Gilland, Q. Phelan, J. Colquhoun. Defence: W. Dunn, N. Hanlin, J. May-all.

BOXING HAWKES BEATS HOGGARTH (P.A. ) CHRISTCHURCH, August 7. In a fast and clever exhibition of boxing, Ron Hawes, Canterbury, Bst 91b, outpointed the New Zealand bantamweight champion, Tot Hoggarth, West Coast, Bst 71b, in a professional featherweight contest tonight. Hawes was too clever for his harderhitting opponent and held a strong lead on points till the tenth, and final round, in which Hoggarth desperately, but unsuccessfully, fought for a knockout. MINIATURE RIFLE SHOOTING RYAL BUSH CLUB The weekly shoot of "the Ryal Bush Miniature Rifle Club was held recently. R. Buxton secured top score with 79.7. The following were winners of the handicaps: A grade. R. Buxton; B grade, B. Fowler. The best scores were: R. Buxton 79.7, B. Fowler 79.6, T. Crane 78.1, D. Fortune 77.6, C. Liggitt 77.4, S. Clark 76.3, R. Blakie 76.3. W. Fraser 76.2, W. Collinson 76.3, J. Millar 75.2. INDOOR BASKETBALL Following were the results of the men’s indoor basketball matches played at the Y.M.C.A. last night:—Rajahs 16, S.T.C. II 3; S.B.H.S. II 24, Collegiate 2; Top Dogs 7, Nomads 6; Renegades 9, The Saints 6; S.B.H.S. I 24, S.T.C. I 2.