The staff vs student basketball game ended in a draw with controversy being the winner on the day. Two match reports, one from each side, appear below...

Student view by Lewis Wall

After taking a tough loss in the opening series of students vs teachers in volleyball, the teachers were looking to get a win on the board to make it 1-1. If they were to do so they would have to overcome the mighty Year 13 (not to be confused with the 95 Chicago Bulls) basketball team. 

The game had a slow but scrappy first half with the score 4-3 at halftime. Going out into the second half the students lit up, going on an 8-0 run leaving the teachers in the dust. Some shocking fouls and some questionable defence from the teachers had some with head in hands. Nevertheless some bruising offence managed to get them back into the game being down four with 47 seconds on the clock. 

“A man on a mission,” is how I heard Mr Fielding described by a supporter after putting the teachers within two, after a Shaquille O'Neal-esk layup. NOW, this is where an absolute debacle occurred. With the students about to grab the ball to inbound with 20 seconds left, an event occurred that I would personally describe as worse than the underarm bowling incident of 1981. A teacher grabbed the ball and had the audacity to bounce it off a student waiting to take the inbound, and put the ball in the hoop. With no one knowing what was going on and a majority of the teachers claiming they “didn’t see it,” the referee counted the points and the game ended in a tie. 

Teacher view by Mr Scott

This was an epic contest! After losing volleyball to the students for the first time ever, the staff knew that yesterday was about redemption. The opening half was forgettable, with a lot of nerves from both sides it resembled a rugby game on a basketball court than a game of basketball itself. Student referee Tapuvae Faitoni was having such a tough time keeping up with all the fouling taking place, he may have missed awarding the teachers 2 points from a shooting foul.. 4-3 at halftime. It was tense! 

This ignited the student side and they dominated the first 4 mins of the second half. It was 16-10 with 90 seconds remaining. To their credit, the staff dug deep and demonstrated that experience counts for everything in these tight contests...if not a little stretching of the rules if no-one is watching! This writer personally didn’t see it, but the referee saw it go in the hoop and awarded 2 points. 

Honours even with a 16-all draw. The students are still ahead courtesy of their volleyball victory. Football, Touch and Table-Tennis awaits. Roll on Term 3!