Bronya McMenamin with the ball. Picture by Paul Rickard
BASKETBALL
Behind every good man is a great woman, so the saying goes.
But the rebirth of Gisborne Girls’ High School basketball this season is down to a man whose understanding of the game, knowledge of it and ability to get what needs doing across to young players, is making a big difference to them.
Thomas Tindale has been a Gisborne Basketball Association coach for five years, took the helm at GGHS a month ago and those players’ performances have improved dramatically.
On Monday night they beat a young SE Systems crew 92-27 in Game 1, Week 1 in Round 2 of the Gisborne Basketball Association ladies’ club league at the YMCA, rocking on from 21-6, 47-10 and 69-14 to victory.
But more impressive than Bobbi Crawford’s 31-point tally or Jayla Waru-Reardon’s 22-point game was their court-sense. Tindale said: “We’re small, so we have to play quick. I was happy with our ball-movement and unselfishness offensively: Natasha Porter and Riley Lewis are our point-guards, and their eyes are open.”
Olivia Whitfield (10) led the SES scorers, and Jasmine Sparks worked tirelessly for Systems: she carried the ball, hustled on defence, facilitated the offence. To do that with and for less experienced teammates is not easy but it is part of the learning process, and builds character — especially when the opposition’s class is evident from the first play of the game: Lewis’ dribble-drive in the key, left-to-right crossover dribble and soft-touch shot for 2.
Ritana Toa played hard ball on Monday night.
It was Ritana (Lytton High School) 6, Manu Toa 11 at the end of the first period in Game 3 but the younger team mounted an amazing comeback, seized a 30-10 lead by half-time and were 46-27 up going into the fourth quarter of what was a rugged, old school clash. Amoe Wharehinga and Ohomauri Hailey stood up and were counted against the older team with 15 points apiece but Maiangi Mackey led Manu Toa’s scoññrers with 10 and featured in six tied-ball situations.
Manu Toa — in the best tradition of 2015 finalists Mackeys — play their basketball with great enthusiasm and physicality. They never let anyone score unchallenged, and Wharehinga was moved to make two bird-on-a-wire scoop shots (the first of which gave Lytton a 12-11 lead) in the second quarter and a remarkable reverse lay-up for 32-20.
LHS forward O’shae Rangihaeata’s defensive stop on Natalie Mackey at 41-26 was a candidate for the play of Week 6 in ladies’ hoops. Mackey stormed down the right side of the floor, Rangihaeata met her just over halfway and slid back in front of Mackey all the way to the hoop.
To do that — and come up with the ball — takes heart, nerve, strength, timing and tremendous skill.
For a decade, one player in ladies’ basketball has showcased those attributes consistently: Ngati Porou captain Bronya McMenamin.
Rangihaeata’s fantastic defensive play was matched, on the night, only by McMenamin’s phenomenal effort against Hana Wilkinson of Turanga. Defending champions Ngati Porou were 27-41 down with five minutes left in the fourth period when their skipper — as with Rangihaeata v Mackey — picked Wilkinson up just over halfway and stripped her of the ball at the last.
And former Nelson Spark Wilkinson will only get better for Turanga. Guarded by McMenamin in the right corner, her long jumpshot — the first field goal of the fourth period, for 39-21 — was that of a quality representative player.
Ngati Porou guard Jayda Waititi-Leach (13pts) also had an excellent game, and her magnificent driving lay-up against Kiara Swannell (10) for 17-31 in the third quarter should serve as a beacon to every player in a GBA league: height is nice, but there is no substitute for the courage, athleticism and skill of the former Lytton High School 2017 championship-winning captain and Most Valuable Player.
The Masters and Turanga Health had fun.
The veterans in both teams had a blast: feisty Mereono Rangihaeata (14) and imposing former US college player Dyani Johnson (10) were at the heart of the Masters’ match-effort. The Masters led 14-0, 26-3, 36-8 en route to victory 52-11 but the most popular field goal of the night was scored by Turanga Health’s Leslie Puketapu. Her 20-foor three-point shot for Turanga Health 3, Masters 20 — with four minutes, 10 seconds to play in the first half — brought the house down.
There’s always room for the innovative in GBA club ball, such as Suzy Sparks’ bumblebee defence (which caused Monique Carmichael, in her scoop-shot attempt, to flip the ball over the backboard at 34-5). Teams such as Turanga Health do the league an enormous service, eliminating the bye not the least of those.
Rangihaeata said: “It’s great to have more clubs participating because we need the fitness, and that was a good run.”