City Lights beat Raiders by default.
Massive Marauders beat Wairoa River Hawks by default.
Kiwi Lumber-Jacks 38 (Rewha Rameka 19, David Rameka 5, James Walker 4) Gisborne Boys’ High School Senior A 63 (Ryland Bright 12, Aidan Henderson 11, Kelly Rangihuna 8, Sam Crosby 7, Aiziah Craft-Chemis 6, Ollie Tong 4, Gio Smith-Green 4). Q1 - GBHS - 21-10; HT - 34-19; Q3 - 49-31.
Green Up 69 (Holden Wilson 35, Dominique Wilson 21, Levi Campbell 5) SE Systems 70 (Luke Smith 20, Keenan Ruru-Poharama 13, Kereama Huriwai 10, William Collier 8, Samuel Chademana 8, Adrian Sparks 7). Q1 - 16-16; HT - SES 37-32; Q3 - 49-44.
How fares the GBA?
Spark Plugs beat SE Systems 48-44 in their derby match, and WOGS won their top-of-the-table clash with Gisborne Girls’ High School 71-22 in week 4 of the GBA Ladies’ League in the YMCA.
Plugs’ O’Shae Rangihaeata (14 points) and SES’s Petra Sparks (24pts, including six three-pointers) inspired their teams with superb individual plays.
Formidable Plugs forward Angela Wanoa opened the scoring with a jump hook.
Kohine Aupouri made a strong impression for Spark Plugs in the second period, going up quickly right-side to make it 20-8.
Mereono Rangihaeata - O’Shae’s mum - reacted immediately with a trey from the right wing and, straight after that, Aupouri found O’Shae on the run for 24-11.
Plugs’ Kayla Namana gave an indication of her ability in signing off the second period with a three-point shot and ending the third period with a high-arcing jump shot.
The game was a thriller to the end. Jasmine Sparks made a three-point play for 30-24 to SES and later latched on to a great assist from teammate Peyton Riri for 32-28.
But in the end, Plugs’ hustle and work rate overcame SE captain Petra’s hot shooting hand.
In game 2, the Kristi Brown-coached Girls’ High battled hard against a physical WOGS.
Ishtar Mackey-Huriwai did it all offensively, at close quarters and up to 6 metres from the ring, announcing her arrival in the second period with a stunning reverse lay-up for 28-8.
That Mackey-Huriwai scored despite the presence of Natalie Tarei, who on the next play stopped and prevailed against three WOGS team members, speaks to both players’ determination.
GGHS never gave it away, despite the scoreline.
Athleticism and the ability to wriggle got Natalie Mackey a hoop on the right baseline for 57-15, but the player who made her work hard for that hoop, Indie Nikora, made a lay-up for 15-61 with classic form.
Speaking of classic form, the touch and range of guard Holden Wilson saw Green Up all but snatch victory from SE Systems in GBA Men’s Premier Men’s League action in the Y on Tuesday.
Systems captain Adrian Sparks, whose team won 70-69, described Wilson’s 35-point performance as “incredible”.
Wilson zipped out of the left corner and by SE’s Luke Smith for 30-37, beat the shot clock with an 11m “prayer” from the left sideline for 47-51 and, with 0.4 seconds left, launched and sank a 13m bomb in front of the table officials.
While it was not a game-winner, it was comparable to Jimmy Wilson’s 10m effort with 0.34 seconds left to win Purp and Yellow the 2011 grand final 50-48 over Blades.
Levi Campbell was his side’s saviour. His arrival - with five minutes, 21 seconds to play in the first quarter - gave Green Up five players, thus avoiding a third defaulted game in week 4.
No such luck in two of the other scheduled games. City Lights beat Raiders by default, and Massive Marauders beat Wairoa River Hawks by default.
Luke Smith and his skipper were their normal tenacious selves for SES, taking offensive rebounds and scoring from them against a team, who by the end - after Dominique Wilson (21pts) and Nashwen Mouton (4pts) fouled out - had only three players on the court.
William Collier had his most productive game of 2025 to date at both ends of the court: two blocked shots, four assists, five steals, seven rebounds and 8 points.
Pressure defence has proved a successful go-to for Gisborne Boys’ High School Senior A.
That defence and scoring in double figures from Ryland Bright (12pts) and Aidan Henderson (11pts) were key in their 63-38 win against Kiwi Lumber-Jacks.
They led the Jacks throughout, although Rewha Rameka once again showed skill and speed in putting up 19 points.
Boys’ High are top of the table on points differential from SE Systems. Both have won three games in a row.
