Bronze for Basketball Boys at Nationals

This year’s Schick 2018 Secondary Schools Nationals was history in the making for our Premier Boys’ Basketball team. Having failed to qualify last year, and then missing out by just 2 points in the 7th and 8th playoff, the Premier Boys team were determined to come back strong and make their mark at this year’s national tournament. 

Competing in Pool B, alongside Fraser, Rotorua, St Johns, Shirley and Westlake, the boys knew it was going to be crucial to top their pool  - a feat they achieved, going through unbeaten. They were the only team not to drop a game heading into the knockout rounds.  

Highlights from pool play included overcoming an 18 point deficit to defeat a tough Rotorua Boys team in our second game of the pool (81-78) and securing a quarter-final berth with an outstanding defensive effort, holding Westlake to under 50 points to win 79-49. 

After playing some of their best basketball of the season against Westlake, the boys knew they needed to back up that performance heading into the quarterfinal against Auckland Grammar. Once again, it was their defensive intensity, led by Levick Kerr, helped to seal the all-important win 91-60 and secure the first ever semi-final spot for the College. 

Facing Rosmini in the semi-final was challenging but the boys did a great job forcing the opposition into some difficult shots but the game eventually got away in Rosmini’s favour leaving the boys to play off for the bronze medal. 

Having faced St Johns earlier in the week, the boys knew it would not be easy to secure 3rd. Going into the final period with only a 2 point lead, the boys dug deep and left everything on the court, knowing that this would be the last game played together as a Premier team. Their determination paid off with a final score 75-65 in Saint Kentigern’s favour to secure the national bronze medal. Well done boys! 

Congratulations to Shalom Broughton who was named in the tournament team.