The Ashburton College senior boys’ basketball side managed to turn a negative one night into a positive the following this week in local basketball action.

Playing in the Division One Thomson Trophy in Christchurch on Tuesday night, the College boys were beaten by a strong Shirley Boys’ High School side as they continue their step up from division two into the big league.

While beaten, the side was far from disgraced with a final scoreline of 78-55.

Quinn Ritchie led the charge for the Ashburton side with 27 points and formed strong combinations with both Sam Pearce and Thomas Patterson.

While disappointed to lose the match, it did serve as a good reminder of the level of competition they are now facing and there was a real positive in the way they fought back after a slow start.

After that disappointment though, they managed to turn things around on Wednesday night in the local men’s competition with a good win over Star Farmers Corner.

Again Ritchie shone, with 33 points, while Pearce was strong with 18 points for the match.

For Star, Xavier Bartlett was the leading scorer with a solid 20 points.

In Wednesday night’s other match, Gannets grabbed a strong victory over a depleted Nomads side who were without three of their regular starters.

After a slow first quarter things picked up in the second, third and fourth with the Gannets proving too slick winning the match 84-53.

The presence of the seven-foot Jason Greig was a big assist to the Gannets. He grabbed a number of rebounds, blocked shots and scored 24 points for his effort. Nick Fechney had a good night too with 20 points, including four from three point range.

For the Nomads, Mikal Johnson, Jamie Smitheram, Sam Moore and Matthew Tait all reached double figures.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 10 May 2019