WHS play pretty good for rookies - April 2016

Wanganui High School Senior and Junior teams with coach Ross Cronshaw (left) and the New Zealand 3x3 Team.

FOR first-timers in the format, the Wanganui High School basketballers acquitted themselves very well by finishing fourth in both the Junior and Senior boys divisions at the BBNZ Secondary School 3X3 National Slam in Auckland last weekend.

WHS took two squads of five players to the 3-on-3 tournament, held at the Waitakere Trusts Stadium.

"We'd never entered before so it was really good to come away with a result like that," said coach Ross Cronshaw.

"We were hoping for a [game] win, never mind coming fourth."

There were 24 schools in the senior boys competition and 17 in the junior boys, both split into two pools with the top two teams of each going through to the semifinals.

Games lasted 12 minutes, using one basketball hoop on a court measuring 15 metres by 11m. A full court is 29m x15m.

The WHS seniors (under 19) had eight victories and three losses to qualify for the semifinals, where they were beaten by eventual winners Rangitoto College Blue 21-10, before losing the playoff for third with Rosmini College A 18-12.

WHS's Junior Boys (under 16) had six wins and two losses in pool play, before being beaten in the semifinals by Rosmini College 11-6, and in the playoff for third by Rangitoto College Red 15-9.

(Wanganui Chronicle 19/4/16)