Campion set record

SHOOTING: High Flyers’ Zade Donner, here going for the basket for City Lights against Campion College’s Patrick Murphy in club competition last year, was one of those who shone as his team played their up-tempo brand of basketball against The Young and the Useless last night. YAU won the game 34-30. Picture by Paul Rickard

It was the greatest game they’ve ever played.

In the 20 years since Campion College first fielded a team in Gisborne club basketball, their 74-73 win against Lytton High School last night was the highest-scoring win that Campion have had against Lytton.

When Campion entered the league, Lytton had the likes of Rikki Crawford and Jared Le Geyt on the floor; victory was not possible.

But times have changed. Campion captain Orlando Pedraza scored a record 41 points for the College, with teammates Nelson Brown (12pts) and Tahran Ward (10pts) giving the Shane McClutchie-coached crew three scorers in double-figures. When a school team have that, they can be genuinely competitive.

Ward scored the match-winning field goal, a weak-side put-back of left-hander Fraser Robb’s jumpshot for 74-73 with 2.43 seconds left. Lytton then hit the back of the backboard with the throw-in — a turnover — and Campion held on for the come-from-behind win.

“The game was very fast-paced and I thought we went pretty well with regard to offence, but our defence was lacking,” Campion skipper Pedraza said.

“Lytton’s fouls early on in the game didn’t help them towards the end, and Shane told us to contain Genesis (Bartlett-Tamatea), run lanes, support each other and take makeable shots.”

Lytton captain Bartlett-Tamatea hit two three-point shots in his 35-point haul and was magnificent, while Darius Waititi-Leach (22pts) and Jack Whaitiri (12pts) were also superb.

Campion led 18-17 at the end of the first period and 38-37 at the break. Lytton were 61-59 up at three-quartertime.

By the fourth period, three players in each team had committed four fouls apiece. Soon after, Campion lost both Ollie Simpson and Tana Ward. Both captains — who attack the ring as a matter of course — were given visually an open path to lay the ball in. Not one player took the defensive charge.

“The game could have gone either way — both teams looked to push the ball at every opportunity,” Lytton coach Kahu Ripia said.

“All credit to Shane for the way he’s coaching Campion — they have some good players.”

You’ve got to love The Young and the Useless.

They are the league’s throwback team, a reminder of the days of Hemaraz, Munro Street, Old Surfers — when hardness was king. It wasn’t pretty, but their 34-30 win against High Flyers was riveting to watch . . . experienced players turned the ball over, ran back on defence, took the rebound.

YAU were plagued by turnovers in the first half (seven in the first period) and as a result, didn’t settle until the second half.

They led 8-5, 18-12, 28-18 through the game with centre Stefan Pishief (12pts), strongman Ray Noble (6pts) and 6ft 4in 14-year-old Carew Fearnley (4pts) all making an impact for YAU.

Fearnley is athletic — like Campion’s Nelson Brown, a young forward on the improve — although Ray-John Pokiha Fox did step off the left baseline and by him to score with a great move six minutes into the fourth period.

Fox’s High Flyers teammate Zade Donner had not been so lucky in the third quarter, cutting out of the right corner down the endline, only to have Noble pin his shot-attempt to the backboard.

The High Flyers played their exciting, up-tempo brand of basketball, Donner (14pts) and Robert Christy (12pts) to the fore. Christy scored High Flyers’ first field goal and hit a three-pointer to end the game.

The Flyers were fearless — as is Adrian Sparks. The veteran scored his team’s first five points, 10 points all up, and made two three-point plays in SE Systems’ loss to The Filthy Dozen.

The Dozen won 61-39. The quartertime score was 10-10, by the break The Dozen had moved ahead, 24-12, and later it was 31-21.

Konnor Gibson (10pts) and Jackson Leach (8pts) gave SES more offensive teeth, while Dom Wilson (24pts) was a class above for The Dozen. His uncle Jimmy Wilson (12pts) and Rihara Moeke (9pts) were also influential.

City Lights’ big guns fired.

Uawa played solid basketball but the defending champions won Game 2 60-43 on experience and the ability to score.

City Lights captain Scott Muncaster’s 17 points included a three-pointer and a three-point play, while teammate Ryan Walters’ 10-point haul included two long jump shots late in the game. Walters’ return from injury was marked by solid defence.

City Lights’ Carl Riini (13pts) opened the scoring with the first of his two three-pointers. Muncaster’s outfit led 20-10, 27-20, 48-26.

For Uawa, Rikki Kernohan (16pts) and Reg Namana (13pts) worked hard, Namana hitting a three-pointer in the second period. Uawa are finding their feet in this league — this was Week 6 of 12.

Week 6, GBA women’s club basketball league draw for TONIGHT —

YMCA —

5.30pm: Campion v Rebels

6.30pm: Paikea v Uawa

7.30pm: Gisborne Girls’ High School v RFNZ

8.30pm: Ngati Porou v Lytton High School

Overnight scores from Day 1 of the Super 8 schools basketball tournament:

Palmerston North Boys’ High School beat Gisborne BHS 92-36 (19-4, 44-14, 62-21 to PNBHS; for GBHS, Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown scored 11pts).

New Plymouth BHS beat Gisborne BHS 74-57 (21-19, 36-30, 55-43 to NPBHS; for GBHS, Sam Veitch scored 14pts, Khian Westrupp, 10).