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The Spike: or, Victoria College Review, September 1926

Basket Ball Club

page 58

Basket Ball Club

"What aileth ye——that ye
skipped like lambs?"

Psalm 114

Sketch of woman playing basketball next to woman in academic dress

In 1923, a few enthusiasts entered a 'Varsity team for the Wellington Basket Ball Championships. After a stormy season of defaults and losses and sundry other inconveniences, this team was given the lowest rung in the championship ladder. Their heroism, however, was not purposeless. It put Varsity on the map of the Basket Ball world. Scarcely three years afterwards, Varsity achieves not only second place, but also the honour of being the only team to challenge seriously the present champions for their place. It is to be hoped that next season we will be fortunate in securing a good coach at the beginning of the season.

This team also, in the seven-a-side finals, tied with Wesley for second place.

Extra matches were arranged with the Wellington Girls' College, and the Wellington East Girls' College. Both were well contested and were an interesting addition to our Saturday's matches.

A match was also arranged with the Auckland Training College team. The "Post" describes the game as follows:—

"The first half of the game was evenly contested, for 'Varsity were playing brilliantly. At half time the score stood at Auckland 25, 'Varsity 22. After half time, Auckland, by speeding up their centre work, gave their goals more opportunities of scoring. The goals were accurate shooters and rarely missed scoring when they obtained the ball."

The final score gave the victory to Auckland, from whose style of play we gained considerable benefit. It also gave us valuable hints on Auckland's style of play, which ought to be of some use when we meet them at Easter.

We are at present arranging matches with the Senior A and Senior B Rugby teams. Five members of the Senior A team were members of the Training College Old Students' team which defeated the present students' team by a wide margin of points.

The Senior B team has not had as interesting a season as they would have wished. Nevertheless, they achieved fourth place in their grade. It was found necessary to withdraw the Intermediate A team for the last matches of the season, as several members could not guarantee their regular attendance at Saturdays' matches. This was rather discouraging to the team's keener supporters, but this ought not to happen next season if any student at present not engaged in any kind of recreation joins this team. Past experience is not essential, and not over many brains are needed for intermediate standard.

The season, on the whole, has been a successful one. The Club members have worked well for the welfare of the College. We can only hope that next season will hold as much interest and pleasure as this year's has.