Basketball action set to thrill

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The next two days could be very revealing.

Reigning women's club basketball champions Ngati Porou play the Dwayne Tamatea-coached Gisborne Girls' High School in the Week 2 opener at 5.45pm tonight in A Grade action at the YMCA, followed at 6.45pm by Manu Tu v Dem Air Ballers and the Stretchmarks-Lytton High School clash at 7.45pm.

At the John McFarlane Memorial Sports Centre, Riverina will play Horouta at 5.45pm and Manu Toa will take on SE Systems at 6.45pm in the B Grade.

Tomorrow night in the men's A Grade at the YMCA, the David Glendenning-coached Gisborne Boys' High School A take on a muscular Green Up outfit at 5.40pm. Men's champions City Lights will go toe-to-toe against a powerful SE Systems crew at 6.35pm before a B Grade interlude: the Big Ballers Brand and Backcourt Violators clash serves as the curtain-raiser to A Graders the Filthy Dozen v Dialektric at 8.15pm.

The Sports Centre is the venue for B Grade action — Boys' High B v GBHS Juniors at 5.40pm, Old Surfers face the Massive Marauders at 6.35pm, and at 7.25pm Gizzy Gilas take on LHS with Shane McClutchie's Campion College pitted against the Bumbles at 8.15pm.

Tamatea's young GGHS team is coming to terms with the difference between transition defence and man-to-man defence, and when to run as opposed to playing half-court basketball. Manu Tu — another energetic A Grade women's crew — also have tactical priorities, veteran Melissa Mackey-Huriwai wanting them to spread the floor in the half-court set and improve their communication on defence.

The Marama Henwood-coached Lytton girls, who began their season with a 42-24 win against Dem Air Ballers on opening night, will be hoping for a similar result against Stretchmarks. They had best beware of Stretchmarks guard Courtney Stubbins, who stepped up last week with 11 points.

A Grade, YMCA —

5.40pm: GBHS A v Green Up.

6.35pm: City Lights v SE Systems.

7.25pm: *B Grade, Big Ballers Brand v Backcourt Violators.

8.15pm: Filthy Dozen v Dialektric.

B Grade, John McFarlane Memorial Sports Centre —

5.40pm: GBHS B v GBHS Juniors.

6.35pm: Old Surfers v Massive Marauders.

7.25pm: Gizzy Gilas v Ritana.

8.15pm: Campion v Bumbles.