The Junior Spartans closed out their local season in style, comprehensively defeating Hillmorton in the Grocott Trophy Grand Final in front of a big crowd of supporters.
The tone was set early as Shirley jumped out to a commanding 24-8 at the end of the first. The team’s momentum continued into the second quarter, where they extended their lead to 51-23 at half-time, through excellent team play and sharp shooting from beyond the arc, highlighted by Eli Lissaman’s back-to-back three-pointers (15, 10r) and Finn Kennett-Ditfort’s hot shooting streak (20, 9r). The Spartans’ defence was similarly outstanding, forcing Hillmorton to go 0/18 from behind the arc through half-time.
There was no let-up in the second half, as all ten Spartans contributed on the court, with everyone adding to the scoreline. Mataio Ifopo-Togia (14, 7r, 3s), Jaejae Greene (11, 5) and Noa Gathercole-Smith (17, 8r, 3s) had great lines, meaning all five starters reached double figures in terms of scoring.
As the final buzzer sounded, the Junior Spartans achieved a perfect Grocott Trophy season (12-0), with the 102-59 scoreline accurately illustrating the level they performed at.
After the game, the team was presented with the trophy from Tim and Dave Grocott (named after their late father), who could not hide their happiness at seeing their school being victorious.
Noa Gathercole-Smith received the Finals MVP award, the third member of the team to be named as an MVP this year by the CBA (Mataio Ifopo-Togia, B15 Finals MVP; Finn Kennett-Ditfort B15 Season MVP). Having three different players named as an MVP was a great illustration of the way this team has played together, with everyone looking to make each other better.
With the local season now done, the team will next head to Nelson, and play their final seven games of the season at the South Island Tournament.
