Basketball: NZ crown eludes Boys' High

Rotorua Boys' High School player Bruce Magabos (No7) in action during the Three-on-Three Secondary School National Slam in Auckland. Photo/Supplied

A group of Rotorua basketballers have fallen just short of bringing home a national title at the Three-on-Three Secondary School National Slam in Auckland.

The three-on-three basketball competition was held last week and saw Rotorua Boys' High School meet Fraser High School (Hamilton) in the final.

Boys' High took a handy four-point lead in the final but Fraser High battled back well to win the match 14-12.

Boys' High coach Mark Elers said he was proud of the boys who represented their school, their families and themselves great all week.

The side included Logan Elers, Mikaere Watene, Tamakari Vercoe-Kameta and Bruce Magabos.

Elers and Watene have been selected in the national under-18 three-on-three basketball squad preparing for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in China in August.

The Rotorua team did not have an easy road to the final. They had to get through pool play then a top eight round-robin to qualify. The Rotorua Boys' High School team only dropped one game in pool play to Rangitoto B, defeating Auckland Grammar 2, Kelston Boys' Red, Howick, Tangaroa 1, Wesley and Saint Kentigern 1.

With pool play out of the way, they then defeated Fraser High, Rangitoto A, Saint Kentigern 1, and Glendowie in the top eight round-robin.

The final against Fraser High had an all-Rotorua aspect to it with both schools playing in the Rotorua men's club basketball competition and all the players have played representative basketball for Rotorua.

Fraser High coach Jeff Green is also the head coach of the Rotorua under-19 team and Boys' High coach Elers is his assistant coach.

New Plymouth Girls' High won the women's final against Saint Peter's Cambridge.