The 2017 Schick Championships National AA Basketball Tournament finals were played at Palmerston North today, as the top secondary school basketball teams competed for the most prestigious basketball titles in New Zealand.
In the Battle of the Saints it was St Marys College, Wellington that captured the Girls title beating St Peters School, Cambridge 68-62 despite 48 points from Charlisse Leger-Walker.
The Boys Final was also a close affair with Rosmini College denying Rangitoto College to win its second national title with an 87-79 victory.
Schick Championships - AA GIRLS FINAL
The Schick AA Girls Final was a matchup between Zone 3 winners St Marys College, Wellington and 2015 and 2016 champions St Peters, Cambridge.
St Peters Captain Charlisse Leger-Walker scored all 16 of her teams first quarter points, but nine Grace Hunter points gave St Marys a 21-11 lead.
Alana Paewai became the second St Peters player to log points, but a three from Renee Savaiinaea propelled St Marys to a 27-20 lead.
Back to back baskets from St Peters forward Ella Bradley cut the deficit to one point before Terelle Onesemo and Te Araroa Sopoaga propelled St Marys to a 33-30 half-time lead.
Leger-Walker led all scorers with 23 points but 10 points from Grace Hunter was the best of a balanced St Marys effort.
Savaiinaea landed a long three before Arielle Mackay-Williams knocked down a jump shot for St Peters. The influential Hunter departed to the St Marys bench with a fourth foul.
Bradley again trimmed the lead to a single digit before Savaiinaea scored with a baseline move to give St Marys a 45-42 lead with three minutes left in the third stanza.
Sariah Penese made it a five points advantage before Leger-Walker took her personal tally to 30 points and then fed Jayzelee Wahi for the inside basket as yet again the arrears were reduced to one point.
Leni-Lia Moananu dropped two baskets in an absorbing contest, St Marys ahead 51-48 at the end of quarter number three - Leger-Walker already in double-double territory with 34 points and 11 rebounds.
Savaiinaea delighted the supporters from the Capital with a long three - 56-50 with seven minutes to play.
Leger-Walker moved her tally into the 40s, but back-to-back efforts from Onesemo and a crucial triple from Savaiinaea kept St Marys in the ascendancy 64-55 with three minutes to play.
St Peters, and in particular Leger-Walker werent finished as the Junior Tall Fern reeled off seven straight points - 64-62 with 1:30 to play.
St Peters couldnt muster another basket, St Marys closing out the game with free throws to claim a deserved, hard fought - 51-48 victory.
St Marys coach Nixon Penese gave great credit to the opposition.
"St Peters are an amazing team, very well coached by Leanne Walker and with an incredible player in Tournament MVP Charlisse [Leger-Walker].
"I told my girls to beat the champions it would take a big effort from the whole team. We dont have any super stars so they have learnt to trust each other.
"Im very proud of all the girls, but particularly the Year 13 players Sariah (Penese) and Terrelle (Onesemo).
"We have had fantastic support from all of the parents - it took a big family to beat St Peters," he added.
FINAL SCORE:
St Peters 62 - Leger-Walker 48, Bradley 9
St Marys 68 - Savaiinaea 18, Onesemo 13, Hunter 11, Moananu 11, S Penese 9
FINAL SCORE: 3rd/4th Play-off
Auckland Girls Grammar School 58 - T Ropati 17, Latu 15, Tuala 10, M Ropati 5, E Tuaiti 5
Melville High School 54 - K Smiler 16, Kereama 9, Hemi-TaAla 7, Cowley 6, J Ellis 5
Girls' Schick Championships 'AA' Competition Tournament Team
- Charlisse Leger-Walker - St. Peters School, Cambridge
- Renee Savaiinaea - St Marys College, Wellington
- Leah Mafua - Hutt Valley High School
- Mele Latu - Auckland Girls Grammar School
- Koha Lewis - Hamilton Girls High School
- Sariah Penese - St Marys College Wellington
- Sharne Pupuke-Robati - Mt Albert Grammar School
- Ella Bradley - St Peters School Cambridge
- Grace Hunter - St Marys College Wellington
- Kaylee Smiler - Melville High School
Girls' 'AA' Competition MVP
Charlisse Leger-Walker - St. Peters School, Cambridge
Girls' 'AA' Competition Third Place Officials
Mariah McCarthy Wilson, Toni-Lee Smith-Hunwick, Sam McCartin.
Girls AA Final Officials
Apai Apai, Jacob Cromb, Hamish Dale.
Girls 'AA' Final Team Placings
1st St Marys College, Wellington
2nd St Peters Cambridge
3rd Auckland Girls Grammar School
4th Melville High School
5th Mt Albert Grammar School
6th Hamilton Girls High School
7th Hutt Valley High School
8th Westlake Girls High School
9th Massey High School
10th St Hildas Collegiate
11th Middleton Grange
12th Palmerston North Girls High School
13th Rotorua Girls High School
14th Hastings Girls High School
15th Rangi Ruru
16th St Andrews College
17th Western Heights High School
18th Sacred Heart Girls College, New Plymouth
19th Rangitoto College
20th Ashburton College
21st New Plymouth Girls High School
22nd Christchurch Girls High School
23rd Napier Girls High School
24th Carmel College
Schick Championships - AA BOYS FINAL
The Schick AA Boys Final was an all North Shore matchup between Rangitoto College and Rosmini College. The two teams had met in two finals earlier in the season with the silverware being shared - Rangitoto winning the Auckland Premier title and Rosmini the Zone 1 Championships. However it was Rosmini that claimed the elite prize, repeating its success from 2011 with a second national title winning 87-79.
Rosmini forward Will Heather, backing up from an outstanding semi-final performance, opened the scoring with a triple but his departure with an ankle injury at the tail end of the first period was not a good sign for Rosmini fans.
Rangitoto had the better of the opener to lead 24-20, Dan Fotu adding to that advantage with a couple of scores to open the second period before Mitch Dance and Kruz Perrott-Hunt leveled proceedings at 28 apiece.
Reihana Maxwell-Topia took Rosmini to a four points lead before Zack Te Puni trimmed that to two.
A corner three from Terrence Abdon helped the Rosmini cause, but a brace from Te Puni and a single from Fotu tied the scores again (42-42).
A Logan McIntosh jump shot ended an entertaining first half with the reigning champions 46-45 ahead.
Tournament MVP Dance led all scorers at the break with 16 points and teammate Heather had 10. Fotu (14pts) and Te Puni (12pts) were both in double figures for Rangitoto.
Heather returned to the action to make a banked hook shot and more bad news for Rangitoto followed with Fotu picking up a fourth foul.
McIntosh dropped a triple and Caleb Langridge scored inside, but little separated the teams after a pair of Perrott-Hunt layups - 57-55 in favour of Rosmini at the mid-point of the third frame.
Heather and Perrott-Hunt joined Fotu on four fouls in the shadows of three-quarter time, a Williams-Dunn three keeping Rosmini ahead 63-61 at the third break.
Fotu returned early in the fourth after scores from Abdon and a pair of triples from Williams-Dunn. Rangitoto coach Kenny Stone called a timeout with his team trailing 73-63.
Fotu landed a three, but a Dance bucket gave Rosmini a 78-68 advantage with under 4 minutes to play.
Fotu reduced the lead to eight and McIntosh kept it at 8 after a Williams-Dunn score.
Dance kept the Rosmini advantage at ten points (82-72) with 2:18 to play, but Fotu wasnt finished peeling off seven straight points to set up an exciting final minute with his team trailing 84-79.
The defending champions were unable to dent the deficit further as Heather and Williams-Dunn held their nerve at the foul line to secure the win.
Rosmini head coach Matt Lacey lost in the 2012 final as a player but was naturally delighted to achieve a championship win in his first season as head coach.
"The team have worked hard all season and deserve their success, said Lacey.
"Rangitoto were the benchmark at the start of the season, we have had some great battles with them this season and Im just grateful we could get the win in such a big game.
"Being denied the win as a player was disappointing, but this more than makes up for it.
"The assistance I have received from my assistant Sonny and our management team Greg and Chris has been terrific as has the support from the parents," he added.
FINAL SCORE:
Rosmini 87 - Dance 26, Williams-Dunn17, Heather 15, Perrott-Hunt 13, Abdon 9
Rangitoto 79 - Fotu 28, McIntosh 15, Te Puni 14, Langridge 7
FINAL SCORE: 3rd/4th Play-off
Mt Albert Grammar School 72 - Laumatia 23, Tawera 14, Baledrokdroka 7, Pocock 7
Christs College 62 - De Geest 25, Darling 22, Crutchley 7, Harrison6
Boys' Schick Championships 'AA' Competition Tournament Team
- School Tom Higgins - Auckland Grammar
- Dan Fotu - Rangitoto College
- Oscar Oswald - Palmerston North Boys High School
- Max Darling - Christs College
- Logan McIntosh - Rangitoto College
- Mandela Baledrokadroka - Mt Albert Grammar School
- Mitchell Dance - Rosmini College
- Kruz Perrott-Hunt - Rosmini College
- Peter Jenkins - Rosmini
- Max de Geest - Christs College
Boys' 'AA' MVP
Mitchell Dance - Rosmini College
Boys 'AA' Third Place Officials
Oceen Reed, Shelton Harris, Seddon Smith
Boys AA Final Officials
Tayla Ammunson, Brad Clive, Duran Whiu
Boys' Schick Championships 'AA' Competition Final Team Placings
1st Rosmini College
2nd Rangitoto College
3rd Mt Albert Grammar
4th Christs College
5th Palmerston North Boys High School
6th Auckland Grammar School
7th Westlake Boys High School
8th Rongotai College
9th Hamilton Boys High School
10th Middleton Grange
11th Hastings Boys High School
12th Napier Boys High School
13th Cashmere High School
14th Burnside High School
15th St Johns College Hamilton
16th Wellington College
17th Shirley Boys High School
18th Fraser High School
19th Waimea College
20th Melville High School
21st Kelston Boys High School
22nd New Plymouth Boys High School
23rd St Peters Cambridge
24th St Peters Auckland
- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Basketball New Zealand
Rosmini and Saint Mary's triumph in the Schick Championships
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