Basketball: Mixed day for HBHS

Curtis Wooten

NZSS basketball
Palmerston North

Hastings Boys' High School slipped out of quarter-final contention with a second loss at the New Zealand Secondary Schools' Basketball Championship in Palmerston North yesterday.

"We'll be doing well to make the middle eight playoffs. We will need two wins tomorrow to achieve that," HBHS coach Curtis Wooten said referring to today's games at Arena Manawatu against Palmerston North Boys' High School at 12.30pm and Auckland's Selwyn College at 5.45pm.

Yesterday his team suffered a last-second 66-64 loss to Te Awamutu College after earlier beating Hamilton Boys' High School 66-55.

"Te Awamutu were a lot taller than us. We are young and short," Wooten stressed.

However, his troops did well to establish an early 19-3 lead. Te Awamutu fought their way back with six unanswered points during the final 30 seconds of the first quarter.

Missed easy lay-ups during the fourth quarter of the topsy turvy encounter proved costly for HBHS. Promising guard Latrell Ah Kiong's five three-pointers were a highlight of Hastings' performance.

Te Awamutu had also recorded a close win in their previous match against Hastings this season.

Wooten was rapt with the win against Hamilton as it was a case of sweet revenge for a Super 8 tournament loss by a single point to the team. Quality second and fourth quarters were the keys to the victory.

Hastings led all the way but with three consecutive threes Hamilton got within one at the end of the third quarter.

Hastings won the fourth quarter 10-2.

Captain and point guard Marcos Edwards scored 11 points and produced six steals against Hamilton. Versatile guard Sheldon Mataira scored 18 points, including 11 from 11 at the free throw line for the zone three qualifiers.

Wooten was expecting a tough encounter against Palmerston North Boys' High.