Hastings Boys' High School will play for 5th-8th position today after losing their David versus Goliath match at the national secondary schools basketball tournament in Palmerston North yesterday.
The Curtis Wooten-coached side lost 92-81 to top seeds Ragitoto College in the top eight playoffs but fans could not help notice that section top qualifiers Onehunga also lost in triple overtime to Fraser (Hamilton) in their playoffs.
Ironically, Rotorua Boys' High, who HBHS beat in the Super 8 final in Hastings late August, have progressed to the last four today.
"It's the most even nationals tournament I've been to from one to 24," Wooten said yesterday, after HBHS won the first quarter 16-12 against Rangitoto but trailed 43-37 at halftime and 61-53 in the third spell.
"We were down four with two minutes to go but they got a flurry of free throws down the stretch, so it could have gone either way," said the former Hawks coach, who felt the scoreline was not indicative of how close the match was. "The ball just went in and out in the third."
