BASKETBALL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 May 1938, Page 4

BASKETBALL

WAIRARAPA ASSOCIATION MATCHES.

On the whole very much closer struggles resulted from the games played under the auspices of the Wairarapa Basketball Association last Saturday. The results were as follow: —

A Grade: —lona and Stars I drew, 6 all; H.S.O.G. II beat College 11, 35/18; H.S.O.G. I beat Stars 11, 29/5; College I beat T.0.G., 28/8.

B Grade: —Stars beat College 11, 17/10; Dalefield beat T.0.G., 8/2; lona beat College I, 15/2; Carterton beat College 111, 23/5; Hospital beat College IV, 24/4.

The outstanding match of the day was the Stars v. lona one, a close struggle and a very fast game. The Stars team is a much heavier one and physical strength told a good deal, often more than it should in basketball. The Stars girls are also more experienced players. lona were unfortunate in being without their captain, P. Kilmister, and also without B. Stitt who has proved an effective defender. So that the result, a draw, 6 all, is a very creditable one to lona when they were faced by such strong opposition. Stars still play their long passing game, and lost the ball through this several times, especially in the second half.

The Stars girls are faster than lona and their positional play was better. Again their defenders were admirable, steady and rock-like. But the best individual defender in the game was E. Talbot (Iona), whose play the selectors should watch well. Pat Hanley was excellent in field play as usual, but her throwing was not as accurate. M. Greenlees and M. Eastwood worked very well in lona’s centre. The H.S.O.G. II v. College II match saw the less experienced College players play a plucky game against a better team. The College team was too slow in movement and in passing. More accuracy in throwing is wanted also. For College, Heather Leitch threw well, while M. Upston is a very promising -centre. June Hume and Nola Wilson worked very well as defenders against what was the best third of the Old Girls’ team. These H.S.O.G. forwards play very well together and Nora Brown was again outstanding. The H.S.O.G. I team was much too good for Stars 11. N. Cohen’s “throwing was very accurate and she works more actively in the field than she used to. A new comer to this team is Joan Russell, a very promising centre. College I had a much closer struggle with T.O.G. than the score indicates. For the first ten minutes T.O.G. forced the pace and scored several times before College could get going at all. For T.0.G., N. Needham and- D. Smith (forwards), the Walker sisters in the centre and P. Clark (defender) played really well. In the second half the College team had things more their own way, their passing was snappier, and positional play more effective. R. Edwards did most of the centre work, passed bn the ball .to the forwards quickly and accurately and is one of the speediest players here. Joan Gemmell was an outstanding forward in the first half and Isabel Dale in the second.

The lona v. College I match in the B grade was a fairly good one. For lona K. Cairns proved a strong defender, but there was much wasted passing among the lona forwards. The passing among the College forwards was good, Doreen Dagg and Rewa Sharp being very quick. In the centre Josie Gemmell played a good game. Of the other B grade teams the most outstanding was Carterton, who had not very strong opposition, but who showed very promising form. The forwards, N. McPhee, P. and L. Simmonds, are quick and accurate. The team is a strong one and well-balanc-ed. It is interesting to notice the increased “gate” -at the basketball matches. No charge is : made for admission, but donations towards the rep. team funds will be welcomed from any of the basketball fans. All players are paying Id per Saturday towards this fund.