Basketball New Zealand

October 1, 2009

Probably no player has carried a bigger target on his back this week than Westlake BHS centre Rob Loe.

But if expectations on him have been high so far, they are about to raise even higher as he leads his team – unbeaten through pool play – into the business end of the Furnware NZ “AA” Secondary Schools Championships in Palmerston North.

To be fair, after the year he has had, Loe (18) must be used to the harsh glare of the spotlight.

A Junior Tall Black star at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Auckland, he was promptly elevated to the senior national team for their European tour and shared in an historic 22-point victory over the Australia Boomers in Wellington.

That just makes him a target for every opposition coach at this tournament and every player looking for a quick reputation. Every time Loe misses a shot or a rebound, he can probably hear another spectator shaking their head and wondering what the big deal is about.

Westlake coach Mark Jackson is about to become one of those demanding more from his charge.

“I wouldn’t say he has been coasting … he has been playing good solid basketball,” he says. “But he has a big way to go before he reaches his potential at this level.

“There is another step up left in his play yet and I’ll be challenging him to go there.”

Averaging 20.6 points, Loe has not had to dominate games to steer his team comfortably through the preliminary round. They started slowly against Mt Albert Grammar in their opener, but have not been seriously pushed since, winning by 31 points a game.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of his performance so far has been his willingness to involve team-mates, particularly through his passing ability from the high post.

This quality has not gone unnoticed by US college scouts, who have treked to in Palmy to demonstrate their keen interest in the giant from downunder.

Loe has already won two secondary school titles, riding the coat-tails of Tall Black team-mates Corey Webster and Tom Abercrombie in 2005 and 2006. But if Jackson, the coach on both those occasions, wants to inspire his kingpin, he need only remind him that he was not deemed worthy of tournament team selection when Westlake finished seventh last year.

He’s satisfied with what he’s seen from the team so far …

“We are in good spirits and the boys have been playing really well, firing on all cylinders.”

They face familiar foes in the quarters, having split four previous encounters with Rangitoto College this season.

Defending champions St Patrick’s College made life interesting by dropping their final outing against New Plymouth BHS in an ultra-competitive group and now face rivals Mana College, who have already beaten them twice this year. Church College meet the only South Island survivors – Cashmere HS – while Fraser HS play Onehunga HS.

In the girl’s draw, Church continued to dominate their opposition, enjoying an average winning margin of 68 points through pool play, and now renew their crostown rivalry with Waikato Diocesan in the next stage.

Waimea College sent two-time runners-up Rangitoto College packing to earn a spot against Rangiora High School. Fraser snuck through to face Mt Albert Grammar, while New Plymouth GHS meet Northcote College in the quarterfinals.

Furnware NZ “AA” Secondary Schools Championships

Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North

Thursday, October 1

Boys
11am
17th-24th
Palmerston North BHS 68 (Chris King 16) Cambridge HS 50 (Jayden Hockly 17)
Otago BHS 58 (Ethan Carruthers 18) Kelston BHS 47 (Cory Tagaloa 12)

12.45pm
9th-16th
Mt Albert Grammar 79 (Jason Goodwin 25) Nayland College 56 (Scott Cameron 13)
St John’s College 66 (Te Ra Tai Hodges 18) Nelson College 63 (Michael Karena 33)

Quarterfinal
Fraser HS 84 (Hemi Joyce-Gay 33) Onehunga HS 55 (Lamont Saina 18)

2.30pm
9th-16th
Hastings BHS 82 (Kyne Tobin 15) Middleton Grange 45 (Inga Solofuti 14)

17th-24th
Waimea College 80 (Chris Duthie 23) Wellington College 67 (Hemi Pairama-Lewington 26)

Quarterfinal
Church College 75 (Jared Whippy & Jah Soloai-Skelton 18) Cashmere HS 55 (Jordan Kauta 23)
Westlake BHS 73 (Shaquille Hohepa-Wilson 36) Rangitoto College 46 (Sam King 19)

4.15pm
9th-16th
Tauranga BC 62 (Adam Dunstan 27) New Plymouth BHS 53 (Waeana Ngarongo 11)

17th-24th
Hamilton BHS 79 (Tamaki Courtney 22) Massey HS 58 (Lee Cahill 11)

Quarterfinal
Mana College 85 (Hyrum Hippolite 27) St Patrick’s College 66 (Kiki Kiriau 26)

Girls
11am
9th-16th
Rangitoto College 54 (Milika Nathan 19) Christchurch GHS 49 (Courtney Powell 19)

17th-24th
Marlborough GC 60 (Sophie van Velthooven 32) Rotorua GHS 36 (J Law 17)
Cambridge HS 65 (Anna Cameron 24) Hauraki Plains College 47 (Kelly O’Hallahan 15)
Auckland GGS 63 (Kayla Cullen 25) Kristin School 55 (Habiba Tawfik 16)

12.45pm
9th-16th
Hutt Valley HS 68 (Stella Beck 19) Sacred Heart College 60 (Rosa Antunovic 15)
Napier GHS 70 (Shanice Swain 19) Manurewa HS 49 (Marleen Williams 16)

Quarterfinal
New Plymouth GHS 76 (Bella McCallum 25) Northcote College 54 (Nadia Anderson 11)

2.30pm
19th-24th
Freyberg HS 70 (Danielle Pomare-Mackay 21) Mana College 60 (Bulou Tuisue 17)

Quarterfinal
Fraser HS 83 (Bailey Ross-Waitai 26) Mt Albert Grammar 77 (Morgan Roberts 22)

4.15pm
9th-16th
Nelson College for Girls 71 (Shannon Perrett 27) Rangi Ruru GS 34 (Emma Perry 14)

Quarterfinals
Church College 75 (Moengaroa Subritzky 14) Waikato Diocesan 44 (Georgia Agnew 19)
Waimea College 57 (Jelena Vucinic 15) Rangiora HS 55 (Gemma Hazeldine 12)

Wednesday, September 30

Boys
Pool A
Onehunga HS 85 (Dwight Leofo 36) Palmerston North BHS 71 (Michael Clarke 20)
St Patrick’s College 67 (Scott Sharp 19) Nelson College 53 (Adam Rainbird 21)
Onehunga 87 (Stacey Ili 21) Hamilton 79 (Tamaki Courtney 26)
Palmerston North 80 (Michael Clarke 26) Nelson 78 (Michael Karena 25)
New Plymouth 73 (Max Williams 22) St Patrick’s 61 (Scott Sharp 18)
Standings: SPC & OHS 9; NC, NPBHS & PNBHS 7; HBHS 6

Pool B
Church College 89 (Jared Whippy 35) Rangitoto College 64 (Isaac Fotu 17)
Otago BHS 80 (Ethan Carruthers 30) Waimea College 74 (Chris Duthie 35)
Nayland College 61 (Zeb Lovell 21) Middleton Grange 58 (Inga Solofuti 23)
Standings: CCNZ 10; RC 9; NC 8; MG 7; OBHS 6; WC 5

Pool C
Mana College 72 (Hyrum Hippolite 20) Tauranga Boys College 69 (Matt Fullerton 23)
St John’s College 72 (Johsua Tait 18) Massey HS 63 (Reagan Laidlaw 16)
Fraser HS 76 (Utah Parai 19) Cambridge HS 52 (Ryan Stewart & Matthew Wallace 8)
Mana College 80 (Ryan Taurima 18) Massey HS 60 (Regan Laidlaw 20)
Fraser HS 88 (Dyson King-Hawea 17) Tauranga Boys College 58 (Matt Fullerton 25)
St John’s College 86 (Joshua Tait 19) Cambridge HS 59 (Shawn Tapusoa & Matthew Wallace 12)
Standings: HFHS 10; MC 9; TBC 8; MHS 6; SJC 5; CHS 4

Pool D
Hastings BHS 87 (Stanley Heather 24) Mt Albert Grammar 81 (James Ashby 31)
Westlake BHS 83 (Rob Loe & Shaquille Hohipa-Wilson 19) Cashmere HS 50 (Jordyn Kauta 15)
Wellington College 86 (Hemi Pairama-Lewington 22) Kelston BHS 67 (Christoph Fahrensohn 21)
Standings: WBHS 10; CHS & HBHS 8; MAGS & WC 7; KBHS 5

Girls
Pool A
Rotorua GHS 45 (P Purdie 15) Hauraki Plains 40 (Kelly O’Hallahan 15)
Northcote College 58 (Shaumee Hiha 22) Rangi Ruru Girls School 52 (Emma Perry 17)
Church College 113 (Moengaroa Subritzky 16) Sacred Heart College 34 (Rosa Antunovic & Bridgette Lawn 10)
Sacred Heart College 58 (Philippa Blanks 23) Rotorua GHS 55 (J Bates 14)
Church College 110 (Shannon Randell 21) Northcote College 52 (Aroha Lawrence 15)
Hauraki Plains College 53 (Kelly O’Hallahan 23) Rangi Ruru Girls School 51 (Georgina Papahadjis & Holly Brown 8)
Standings: CCNZ 10; NC 9; SHC 8; RRGS, RGHS & HPC 6

Pool B
Kristin School 59 (Sarah Strom 18) Mana College 51 (Brinkley Harris 16)
Rangiora High School 61 (Courtney Hamblin 18) Napier GHS 54 (Shanice Swain 17)
Mt Albert Grammar 59 (Adoniah Lewis 14) Christchurch GHS 36 (Courtney Powell 11)
Napier GHS 63 (Josie Stockill 18) Mana College 47 (Shanice Swain 14)
Christchurch GHS 99 (Courtney Powell 20) Kristin School 37 (Habiba Tawfik 9)
Mt Albert Grammar 68 (Adoniah Lewis 24) Rangiora High School 52 (Gemma Hazeldine 17)
Standings: MAGS 10; RHS 9; NGHS 8; CGHS, MC & KS 6

Pool C
Marlborough Girls College 51 (Sophie van Velthooven 18) Waikato Dio 44 (Laura Schnuriger 16)
New Plymouth GHS 58 (Zoe Kensington 18) Hutt Valley HS 54 (Kimberly Goodearl 16)
Nelson College for Girls 63 (Shannon Perrett 24) Cambridge HS 61 (Anna Cameron 19)
New Plymouth GHS 57 (Bella McCallum 21) Waikato Dio 50 (Georgia Agnew 28)
Nelson College for Girls 58 (Shannon Perrett 26) Marlborough Girls College 54 (Sophie van Velthooven 23)
Hutt Valley HS 70 (Stella Beck 19) Cambridge HS 57 (Amelia Palmer 29)
Standings: NPGHS 10; WD& NCG 8; HVHS 7; CHS & MGC 6

Pool D
Fraser HS 75 (Bailey Ross-Waitai 22) Auckland Girls Grammar 49 (Kendall Keung 12)
Rangitoto College 88 (Brooke Blair 20) Manurewa HS 54 (Charlotte Davis 20)
Waimea College 59 (Jelena Vucinic 13) Freyberg HS 39 (Freya Newton 12)
Fraser HS 82 (Veshae Asaua-Wilkinson 16) Manurewa HS 50 (Charlotte Davis 14)
Waimea College 71 (Jelena Vucinic 32) Rangitoto College 65 (Milika Nathan 15)
Auckland Girls Grammar 54 (Kayla Cullen 19) Freyberg HS 46 (Freya Newton 14)
Standings: WC 10; HFGS & RC 9; MHS 7; AGGS 6; FHS 5

Game On, October 1 (200kb)