The semi-finals round certainly provided some intrigue in our High School competitions. In the #McDsWT Christchurch Girls’ High was in a back and forth battle with Rangiora High, and only managed to pull away in the final few minutes, winning 56-52. AT Rangi Ruru, Junior Tall Fern Esra McGoldrick proved virtually unstoppable, netting 43 points as her team won handily 102-79 over St. Andrew’s College.

 

The two Thompson semi-finals featured far more intrigue, as all four teams had valid opportunities to win in the final few minutes. Max De Geest used his great jumper to keep Burnside worried, with the Christ’s College press forcing Burnside into some uncharacteristic turnovers (Burnside was without Isaiah Morris, and had a severely hampered Toby Gillooly). Simon Lafaele stepped up for Burnside, hitting 10 of 13 from the field en route to 22p and 11r, along with John Quitiong, who had a huge game of 26p 6r 5a, as Joe Hammond’s Burnside team booked a finals berth with a 91-83 win.

 

Cashmere and Christchurch Boys’ High had go ahead buckets for both teams in the final minute, as Connor McLaughlin (33p) stole an errant pass and took it the distance for a one-point lead, only to see CBHS answer with four points of their own. Tom Russ-Hofmans received an alley-oop inbounds to cut the CBHS lead to one, before Cashmere was forced to foul. Down three, Cashmere struggled against the CBHS pressure, eventually turning the ball over, and seeing CBHS grab the other final’s seat 87-84. Quinn Clinton (35p 9r 8a) and Jack Ansell (21p 14r) lead the way, with Cameron Butler (14p) rounding out the double figure scorers for CBHS.

 

Finals night began with the Thompson Division II final – in what ended up being the most entertaining game of the night. Hillmorton (winless in 2015) and St. Andrew’s met, and played a highly entertaining game. Finals MVP Will Hollings began on fire – scoring 17 in the first quarter, and finished with MVP honours as he ended with 39p. Sam Jenkins (15p 7r) came through with some clutch three point buckets in the final few minutes, while Jonnie Clay (14p 6r) provided aggressive drives. For Hillmorton, Jibraan Safi battled foul trouble, limiting him to 20 minutes of game time, but still managed 13p 6r. Sharpshooter Ihaia Kendrew (30p 11r) and Joshua Nickel (23p 17r) kept Hillmorton fighting throughout, but couldn’t close the gap one more time, as St. Andrew’s walked away champions 85-77.

 

Christchurch Girls’ High came in to the Whelan Final on an unbeaten streak, but had a very confident Rangi Ruru team to beat. A 21-5 Rangi Ruru lead after the first quarter was a harbinger of things to come, as CGHS star Sapphire Wairau struggled to hit from the field (14p 8r, but only shot 2/18 from the field). Rangi Ruru had no such trouble, using their size and depth advantage to good effect, keeping constant pressure on their opponents, and scoring at a comfortable rate. McGoldrick added another accolade to her resume as she was named Finals MVP after a 28p 22r showing. Alice Sproat (15p 10r) and Connie Taylor (12p) providing good support for their JTF teammate. For CGHS, Alana Wouters (17p 13r) and Grace Ritchie (17p) scored some points late, and if there was another ten minutes to play, may have helped their team catch Rangi Ruru. Tall Fern Erin Rooney was on hand to present the Whelan Trophy to Rangi Ruru after an impressive 75-62 win.

 

The Boys’ final had the least amount of drama – both Gillooly and Morris were kept out due to injuries, meaning Burnside would need a lot of contributors to step up in the final for them to have a chance. It wasn’t to be though, as a 24-10 CBHS first quarter lead was compounded into a 50-27 scoreline, with the final going CBHS’ way 95-62. Quinn Clinton wasn’t needed at all in the final quarter, being named MVP after a 15p 10r 7a outing, with points coming easily for his team: Ben Harris (17p 9r); Jack Ansell (15p); Cameron Butler (14p); Jamie Thiele (10p). For Burnside, Cameron Malone acquitted himself well (16p), but only had John Quitiong (10p) make it into double figures, as Gillooly’s athleticism on the defensive boards was keenly felt – CBHS grabbing almost 50% of their misses.

 

Teams will now focus on final preparations ahead of the BBNZ secondary School Premierships, with the boys making the short drive down to Ashburton, and the girls’ teams staying in Christchurch next week.

 

Final Round Results

Whelan Playoffs:

CGHS 56-52 Rangiora

Rangi Ruru 102-79 St. Andrew's

FINAL Rangi Ruru 75-62 CGHS

 

Thompson Playoffs:

Burnside 91-83 Christ's

CBHS 87-84 Cashmere

Division I FINAL CBHS 95-62 Burnside

Division II FINAL St. Andrew's 85-77 Hillmorton

 

Other Games:

Ashburton 59-56 Avonside (Whelan)