Hastings Boys' High School basketballers last night nailed a top-eight berth at the nationals in Palmerston North but their task isn't going to be any easier today.
The Curtis Wooten-coached HBHS side play top seeds Rangitoto College at 12.30pm today after making the cut for the 11th time in the history of the school.
Ironically the 70-68 loss to Onehunga (Auckland) on Tuesday came back to haunt them after the the derby win of 96-50 against Napier Boys' High School had become of little significance in determining the playoff pecking order.
Favourites Mt Grammar (Auckland) had minutes earlier succumbed to Otago Boys' High School, thus promoting Onehunga as top qualifiers and HBHS second in their section.
"We got beat on the countback by two points," Wooten explained, after HBHS were locked in a three-way tie with Mt Albert and Onehunga although the Hastings school had a better points differential going into the last round.