Varsity got their jump and never let Ajax back.
They went on a run on either side of the quarter-time break, opening a double-digit lead and riding it to a 57-44 win in women’s club basketball on Tuesday night.
It was the fifth consecutive win for the students over Ajax, a streak which includes last year’s final.
Tyler Mitchell led Varsity with 14 points, while Abby Harris chipped in with 13.
For Ajax, Samara Gallaher led the way with 17 points, and it was in her that they found all their early production.
The former Tall Fern scored the team’s first 10 points.
She hit two three-pointers before putting on a nice move to the hoop, then finishing in the mid-range to show a three-dimensional scoring game.
That left the score at 10-10, at which point Varsity went on its run.
Sophie Adams (eight points) ignited the run with two transition lay-ups, before scoring from a pick-and-roll early in the second quarter.
Leila Anesi (11 points) came to the fore later in the run, while the Ajax offence struggled to keep up.
That gave Varsity an 18-10 lead at the first break, which they extended to 36-23 by halftime.
Ajax tried to counterpunch in the third quarter, and played some of their best basketball through that period.
Veterans Natalie Ivy (12 points) and Danielle Frost (seven points) made their presence felt there, as the team got stops and began pushing the ball.
But they never truly ate into the deficit.
Varsity was able to respond with baskets of their own — notably Mitchell scoring in transition, then again seconds later after Legacy Harrison intercepted the inbound pass.
That took the score to 52-35 at the end of the third quarter, which gave way to an anticlimactic fourth quarter.
In the other game, the Andy Bay Falcons held the South Pac Magic to just four fourth-quarter points, claiming a 62-48 win, their second in a row against the Magic.
Ella Ranson had 19 points for the Falcons, while Alexa Duff added 14.
The Magic, who were with key guard Millie Simpson, were jointly led by Sereana Rokotokala and Tia Pavihi, who had 10 points each.
