Westlake Girls Premier will head to the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championship as the tournament’s top seed after defending its Auckland title and winning the BBNZ Zone 1 Qualifier for the sixth consecutive year.
The Auckland Championship final delivered a hard-fought rematch against St Kentigern College, the team that had handed Westlake its first loss of the season only weeks earlier.
Trailing by 17 points at halftime, Westlake produced a remarkable second-half comeback to claim the championship 63–60.
When the teams met again one week later in the Zone 1 Qualifier final, Westlake took control from the outset. The team led 18–12 after the opening quarter before surging to a commanding 47–20 halftime advantage. Westlake maintained its intensity throughout the second half, completing a dominant 39-point victory to secure the Zone 1 title and the top seed for Nationals for the fifth consecutive year.
Several representative players have also brought valuable international experience to the team this season. Mia John represented the Cook Islands Under-18 team at the Asia Cup, while Katie Moore and Imani Rasmussen represented New Zealand at the FIBA Under-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Imani has enjoyed a particularly remarkable year, progressing from the New Zealand Under-17 team to making her Tall Ferns debut at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Mexico.
Westlake Girls Premier now heads to Palmerston North for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championship, beginning Monday 28 September, where the team will aim to defend its national title.
