most dominant displays since the tournament started. After qualifying for the Secondary Schools National Tournament for the third year in a row, the good news was that this time it was going to go ahead. Heading to nationals for the third time in school history, it was hard to tell what lay ahead. Game 1 – Cashmere High School First, in pool play, the team played Cashmere High School. College was behind 23–27 after the first quarter. It then dominated the rest of the game, including winning the second quarter 40–15. Every player scored in the win. Game 2 – Waimea College In a replay of the South Island final, College knew that Waimea would come out strong, looking to improve on the last performance. This proved true, with the young Waimea team being close at half-time, 52–38. College then pushed forward, taking a dominant win, but Waimea allowed the team to work on some weaknesses before moving forward. Game 3 – St Patrick’s College Silverstream The final 91–57 did not do this match justice. St Patrick’s came out strong and kept the game close through three quarters, with the score 40–34 at half-time and 58–50 at third- quarter time. College then did what it had done so many times throughout the season and went on a 33–7 run to finish the game. Hunter Adam had 23 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in the win, with Tom Harrison adding 33 points and 13 rebounds. Game 4 – Scots College This game was the opposite to the previous game, with Scots College folding early, being down 70–28 at half-time. College pushed on to a dominant victory. Year 11 student Truman Heath had an impressive 24 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals in the win, while Liam Jack added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Rangitoto College to 23 points in the first half, the team pushed on to gain a 36 point win. Hunter Adam again was impressive, filling the statistics sheet with 28 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Game 6 (Quarter-final) – Mount Albert Grammar School Halfway through this close-fought battle, College held a slim 46–40 lead, with Mount Albert counter-punching our every move. It took a big late push for the team to eventually pull away and earn a semi-final berth. Hunter Adam had another well- rounded performance when needed, adding 30 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks. Tom Harrison chipped in with 28 points, including five three- pointers, and Truman Heath added an impressive 16 points. Game 7 (Semi-final) – Rotorua Boys’ High School Heading into a tough semi-final, the boys knew if they focused on our processes that we would have a good chance. With a slight lead at half- time, 37–33, College had a big third quarter, winning 27–13, which set up a comfortable 85–74 win. Jordan Braithwaite had an impressive 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals in the win. Liam Jack pulled down 13 rebounds – an impressive effort. Game 8 (Final) – Rosmini College From the start of this game, the team was locked in and ready for the moment that had been five years in the making. A 19–8 second quarter led the way for one of the most impressive defensive performances seen at the tournament for a long time, with College taking a 41–20 lead into half-time. College then pushed on, winning all four quarters and dominating the final, 87–52. Tom Harrison had 39 points, four rebounds, and three steals in the win, with fellow Year 13s Hunter Adam (24 Points/five rebounds) and Jordan Braithwaite (17 points/ nine rebounds) both having huge performances. Well done to Hunter Adam, Tom Harrison, and Jordan Braithwaite for making the tournament team, as well
as Hunter Adam being MVP. Tom Harrison also led the tournament for points per game, with 30 points – an impressive effort. Thomson Trophy Champion, South Island Champion, and National Champion – this team certainly left its imprint on basketball in New Zealand. Tournament Results South Island Marlborough Boys’ College 132–53 win Kaiapoi High School 138–50 win Rangiora High School 106–55 win James Hargest College 96–41win Cashmere High School 108–50 win Quarter-final Shirley Boys’ High School 105–65 win Semi-final Nelson College 89–64 win Final Waimea College 106–55 win Nationals Cashmere High School 113–65 win Waimea College 91–62 win St Patrick’s College Silverstream 91–57 win Scots College 120–72 win Rangitoto College 93–57 win Quarter-final Mount Albert Grammar School 86–64 win Semi-final Rotorua Boys’ High School 86–75 win Final
Rosmini College 87–52 win Good luck to the seven boys
returning next year and thanks to the leavers for their contribution to the team and basketball programme. A huge thanks to Caroline Black for managing the team throughout the Thomson Trophy season and to Joe Cook-Green, Fox Gray, and Rani Hammond for all their hard work and effort – both on and off the court – with the team. Thanks to Andrew and Nicky Harrison for managing the tournaments and making it so easy for the coaching staff. Finally, thank you to everyone who was part of the team’s journey over the past five years and helped to give the team these opportunities. Ben Sheat MiC Basketball
Game 5 – Rangitoto College Going up against traditional
powerhouse Rangitoto presented a great challenge for the team, with the players stepping up well. Holding
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Christ’s College Canterbury
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