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Pretoria High School League Finals 2009

By on June 18, 2009 in High School

Pretoria High Schools Finals

Under 14

The u14 girl’s final was a well fought battle between the girls of Willow Ridge and Mamelodi Bees. The young Bees team showed the better fundamentals converting lay ups off of Willlow’s turnovers. Willow Ridges on the other hand was playing solid defence with their 2-3 zone and later on the press, it was just unfortunate that they unable to convert their steals into baskets. As most games at this level go it was a low scoring game with the final score being 10-8 in Bee’s favour. In the end it was willows inability to score from the line that ultimately gave Bee’s the game, they were 2/17 from the free throw line.

The boy’s final was a Pretoria Boys High School affair with their A team taking on the B. The A team took the game 24-8. It must be said that the level of basketball being played by Boys High in this age group was very impressive and it wasn’t difficult to see how both their teams ended up in the final. The real stand out was the A team point guard number 18 (kamo).Under 16

It was impress to see the crowd that the girls final pulled in this age group, there was a lot of hype with both school’s supporter making sure they were being heard in the warm up. Willow Ridge looked hungry in the 1st half and came out guns blazing, the DSG 3-2 zone defence seemed to give them some trouble though. The half time score was 5-3 in DSG’s favour with all 5 of their point coming from the 1st quarter at the hands of willow’s tightened defence in the 2nd. This game really got exciting in the 4th quarter which is when most of the baskets were scored. The DSG girls seemed to find their confidence after and AND1 basket by their number 12 (Boiketlo Mphahlele) and after that it was their game. The final score was 19-10 to DSG.

The boy’s finals was a close contested game in the 1st half, with both Boys High and Willow Ridge looking hungry for the win and played a fast pasted exciting game of basketball. The score at the half was 15-9. In the 2nd half however it was all Boys High as they began to dominate the game with their defence and fast breaks. Willow’s looked good in the last couple of minutes as they tried to make a comeback, but it was just too little too late. The final score was 37-21

Under 19

In the beginning it looked as if this was going to be a battle with Willow Ridge drawing 1st blood and Pretoria Girls High School starting out committing fouls and several turnovers. After Girls High found their feet though it was all about them, they began playing disciplined defence which turned the game around. They forced charges and got steal which lead to easy fast break points for them. Girls High never took their foot off the paddle and showed that they were disciplined team that plays great team basketball. Mapitso Makena at the point was making sure that everybody on her team saw a piece of the action. Willow Ridge however must be commended for playing until the final whistle. The final score was 44-15 in Girls High’s favour.

Article by Nompumelelo Ramatsoga

MANYEHLISA LEHOHLA

Willowridge High school’s boys senior basketball team beat St Alban’s College 23-18 to win their first ever Pretoria High School’s basketball league at weekend in an intense final played at St Mary’s DSG indoor basketball court.

From the tip off in the first quarter the battle between the two sides proved to be  very tough and physical with St Albans accumulating four team fouls, while Willowridge made three during this period. But it was St Albans’ Rees Carolissen three pointer and two points from Letlogonolo Moatshe seemed to settle the nerves for the Lynwood school and St Albans’ ended the quarter 6-4 ahead.

St Albans’ seemed to be the more physical again in the second quarter side giving away another four team fouls, but the Willowridge players were not able to make use of their opportunities at the free throw line.  Both side’s were poor in offence with either poor shot selection or easy lay-ups being missed being the feature of the second period. But St Albans’ led 7-5 at the end of the second quarter. The scales tipped in the favour of Willowridge in the third stanza, with Eban Aphane making things happen for his school at point and it was Willows who finished the quarter the strongest with a 11-9 lead.

Willows gained a strangle hold in the game with Aphane’s five points in the quarter leading his team’s charge to victory and a three pointer from Ryan Voller put paid to any chance St Albans’ had to get back into the game, although St Albans’ did attempt a comeback with Cluade Kamagirira scoring four points and Anthony Dinham’s three pointer proved to be futile at the end.

In the girls final, Pretoria High School for Girls senior basketball team were also crowned winners of the Pretoria Schools Basketball league at the weekend after beating Willowridge High School  in  match played at the DSG indoor court.

Girls High who were the losing finalists last year to Willowridge exacted revenged when they won this one sided encounter 49-15.

The all girls school took a while to settle down in the game, but when they got going in the first quarter it point guard  Mapitso Makena who lead her team in scoring points for her school to take a 7-1 lead at the end of the quarter. Willoridge were clearly out of their depth for this encounter as they were up against a well gelled Girls High team.

In the second quarter Girls High scored another seven points with forward Thuli Keupilwe scoring four points, while Willowridge put a paltry five points on the board, as they struggled to create scoring opportunities for themselves.

The third period was it was all Girl High broke away, as they were allowed to run riot by Willowridge. Ambani Maboho top scored for Girls High in this period with six points, while Makena also contributed three points for the Hatfield based school. As for Willowridge things fell apart as they scored only one point in the third quarter, because of a water tight Girls High defence.

In the last quarter Girls High carried on with their scoring momentum, Maboho scored eight points, while Makena and Modiegi Mokaka scored six points as Girls High romped home with a 34 points victory.

In the other age groups Pretoria Boys High School and St Mary’s DSG won their respective under-16 league, while Boys’ High and the Mamelodi Bees girls under-14 won their leagues.

Article by Manyehlisa Lehohla

Official resutls provided by Neo Mothiba

2009 pretoria finals

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