School basketball champions found

TOP EFFORT: Tauranga Girls' College winning senior basketball team. PHOTO/Supplied

Finals night of the Tauranga City Basketball Secondary School league capped off a fantastic year of secondary school basketball.

In the Senior A Boys, Tauranga Boys' High School completed their final game of the year defeating Mt Maunganui College 97-51 to complete an undefeated season in the double round robin.

For Tauranga Boys' every player scored in what has become a standard practice in the final few weeks of the season.

Waihi College claimed second place in the Boys Senior A competition with a win over Otumoetai College in the final game of the competition.

Bradley Coleman,15, Matthew Lithgrow, 15, and Blake Atger, 15, led the way for Waihi who took control of the game in the closing stages of the first half and in the second half against a tiring Otumoetai team who finished the season with only six players available to them. OTC Senior Boys finish the season in third place.

In the Senior A Girls competition, Aquinas College claimed the bronze medal defeating OTC Senior Girls 74-67.

Briarley Rogers finished the season strongly with 37 points but was strongly backed up by Isabella Price with 19 points and Ariana Maloney with 10 points. For OTC Simaima Ryland had 24 points while Renee Bennett chipped in with 12 points.

The senior A girls final between Tauranga Girls' College and Waihi College was a tight affair heading into the half with TGC up 34-33. However TGC forced a quick succession of turnovers to dominate the 3rd quarter 20-4 before going onto win 78-52.

For Tauranga Girls' Marika Wereta led the way with 28 points and was backed up beautifully by Riho Naito with 18 points. For Waihi, the league MVP Petra McCowatt was again amazing with 29 points and was a constant threat on the boards.

Best of luck to AC Senior A Girls and Waihi College boys and girls who are competing at BBNZ A Secondary School Nationals in Palmerston North and also to Tauranga Girls' at the BBNZ AA Secondary Schools Nationals also in Palmerston North.