SE Systems' Jasmine Sparks has Gisborne Girls High School's Taiao I Motuhake-Matahiki and Bentley Morice-Munro wedged between her and older sister Petra Sparks.
Opening night began with a bang.
The 2025 GBA Men’s Premier Grade club basketball league kicked off at the YMCA on Tuesday with a big win to its oldest active club.
Four-time champions City Lights beat 2021 title winners Green Up 82-59 in Game 1, Lights captain Scott Muncaster leading the way with 23 points.
Equally crucial to the victors’ efforts were Kahn Grayson (19), left-hander Paora Dewes (17) and Carl Riini (14) in defiance of the idea that older teams start a season-long campaign slowly.
They were quick and aggressive. Muncaster and Riini each hit four three-point shots.
Against this, Holden Wilson (18), Safin Tuwairua-Brown (15) and Dom Wilson jnr (10) of Green Up did what they could.
Holden, a key member of the last Gisborne Boys’ High School crew to make the national boys’ secondary schools’ tournament in 2019, dropped three three-pointers.
Dom Wilson scored the first field goal of the season, but Muncaster put his stamp on the game either side of quarter time with assists to fellow veteran Dillon Dolman-Tuhou (4) and Grayson.
Dillon and Khan latched on to bullet passes right side of the floor - Dillon open for a backdoor lay-up and Khan as the recipient of a stunning length-of-the-court dish in traffic on the run.
City Lights led 18-16, 43-28 and 59-48 at the quarter breaks.
Safin attacked the basket and made difficult shots over tall, athletic defenders, and hared back to steal the ball from the opposition.
He worked tirelessly with muscle and brain for every advantage, any edge. He even fired the ball at the hoop on his second free-throw attempt - an infraction - so as to get the ball back.
That mischievous play might have paid off if not for the sharp eye and whistle of former first division official Donna Brown-Nepia as lead referee.
City Lights’ Ryan Walters dropped two consecutive three-pointers early in the fourth period, a blow to gutsy Green Up, fighting hard as they were for stops and loose-ball possession.
Muncaster beat the full-time buzzer with a six-metre shot from the left side of the floor.
“Khan is one of those guys who does everything. He was massive for us,” the City Lights skipper said.
“Green Up are dangerous and you can never get comfortable against them. They can run and gun and they can knock jumpshots down. Regardless of tonight’s score, they’re a tough team to play.”
To have a Wairoa team back in the comp is big news.
The Wairoa Wizards won championships in 2006 and 2007 and members of that Keith Lewis-managed side - such as Andre Mitchell - have lost none of their potency 20 years on.
It is a marker of the competitiveness of the Wairoa City Hawks’ younger opponents in Game 2, Off Limitz, that the Gisborne team’s 55-44 win owed as much to their grit around the basket as their jump-shooting.
Off Limitz impressed with their ability to shoot the ball.
Turanga Mauheni (13) hit an 8m shot for a 19-14 lead, then forced the veterans to commit a shot-clock violation.
Both sides took the other by surprise throughout as when City Hawks’ Qaadir Smith, from halfway, drove unopposed to the hoop.
Off Limitz led 16-14, 30-23 and 43-35, but the visitors’ effort was consistent.
Smith made an incredible scoop shot from deep.
Mauheni continued to shoot the ball come the fourth quarter. He and his teammates muscled up and, wisely, knew better than to let the older team close the gap to within 10 points.
City Hawks veteran Dean Burgess spoke of the basketball drive in Wairoa, which began with a weekly scrimmage and has progressed to getting masters’ teams away to tournaments, with the prospect of local competitions.
Auric Pocock is a competitor.
And in the best rugged traditions of club basketball, Massive Marauders’ Pocock took a good hard bump from Izaiah Kerisome on a breakaway lay-up attempt to add some spice at the start of Game 3.
Pocock, 15, led his team’s scorers with 18 points in their 58-48 win against Kiwi Lumber-Jacks.
That clean, tough play had the crowd abuzz.
Kerisome, a slight but skilful guard, produced spin moves and soft-touch shots for six points and his Jacks’ teammate, athletic Rewha Rameka, led all GBA scorers in Week 1 with 31 points.
Rameka had a magnificent game, tearing up and down the floor to great effect, hitting jump shots court-wide.
The Marauders had to come up with special plays to get and stay ahead of their younger, smaller opponents, and did.
Simon Wilson shimmied through a double team to score for 15-8, and later, the legendary athleticism of Jason Tuapawa saw him elevate above three defenders to score for 17-10, the quarter time score.
A big man capable of blocking Tuapawa’s shot (and who did, just before halftime) returned to club ball on Tuesday night. Ex-Lytton High School and Hustle Gang centre Campbell Dawson could be a true asset to the Lumber-Jacks.
Similarly, the league’s tallest player has increased in value every year since 2016 ... 2m Stefan Pishief made opening night his own.
He rose over promising Lumber-Jacks forward Liam Bentley for a defensive rebound, curled from left to right to make a jump hook and cut to the hoop to score off a slick assist from Wilson.
His son, Mokena Pishief, was outstanding on debut, finding Wilson in open court with a great outlet pass and later scoring off a peach of a pass from Luke Bradley.
The Marauders led 17-10, 27-18 and 40-36, and were in rhythm throughout, yet the Jacks were creative. They found ways to score.
Kerisome, wide to the left of the ring, made a scoop shot and Rameka, out of the left corner, nipped by Bradley down the baseline to score.
Full-court pressure defence was the key to Gisborne Boys’ High School’s 71-57 win over The Raiders.
The energy and hustle generated by the Adrian Sparks-coached, Felix Sparks-led team was, from the first play, the winning of the late game.
“The effort that the boys put in, the fact that they applied strategy and tactics which we’d trained to do, was very edifying for us,” Sparks snr said.
“Here not many teams play pressure defence. We did and I think it helped us to raise our standard overall.”
Ollie Tong led the GBHS scorers with 16. He and Sparks hit two three-pointers apiece, and as senior players, their total involvement rubbed off.
Impressive forward Kelly Paenga-Rangihuna (7) gave GBHS a physical presence at the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He has great potential.
GBHS Kingston Samuels was called for the fun foul of week 1, an abdominal thrust nabbed by referee Brendan Walsh.
Moments later, Mauheni cut to the hoop and scored off an assist from his captain.
GBHS were in front at the quarter breaks 28-17, 42-35 and 58-44, but Kiwa Ria (17) and Allies Rangihuna (12) never let them rest.
Ria and Rangihuna were feisty. Rangihuna opened the scoring for the Raiders with the first field goal of the game; Ria made a three-point play at Aiden Henderson’s expense at the start of the second period.
Ria showed tenacity at the rim but this Boys’ High outfit run hard and have spirit.
Ryland Bright got the ball to Aiziah Craft-Chemis on the run, right-side, for 40-35 and soon thereafter scored himself from the other side of the floor.
Sam Crosby (6), one of the finds of 2024 for GBHS basketball, opened the scoring in the fourth quarter with a trey from the left wing and his second field goal of the period was a diving lay-up.
But it was Te Haeora Kerekere-Puke of the Raiders who scored the last hoop of the night. The powerful ex-Hawaiiki Hou forward, with 27 seconds left to play, made the shot at the rim.
The GBA Social Grade competition starts on Friday.
A 10-team GBA Men’s Social Grade will commence 6.30pm at Ilminster Intermediate School. The gym’s configuration allows for two courts to be used, so allowing for a later start.
Matt Tong’s Setting Suns, who have won the grade for the last three years, start proceedings at 6.30pm against Astros in a replay of the 2024 final.
At 7.30pm, new entrants the ETB Whanau take on Psalms and Waikohu will play the Hustlers.
At 8.30pm, the Waengapu Stallions face the Cougars and the Cold Hearts meet the Raiders OG.
Kristi Brown knows their worth.
Coach Brown and her Gisborne Girls’ High team returned from the Foot Locker under-16 national tournament in Wellington reinvested with purpose.
They lost Game 1 on the opening night of the GBA ladies’ club ball Monday league at the YMCA to a tough, experienced WOGS outfit, but got their mojo back against SE Systems in the late game.
WOGS, who had four scorers in double figures, are hard to beat.
Ishtar Mackey-Huriwai, of Muay Thai fame, topped the list with 15 points, Ihipera Mackey put up 14 and the likes of Bailey Garret-Kora (8) stepped up for Girls’ High.
GBA club ball at all level eschews structure for ad-lib, but it is athletic, entertaining stuff.
“We played for a week and had one week off before getting into the local competition,” said the coach, whose team are a mixture of Gisborne Girls’ High School, Manutūkē, Hawaiiki Hou and Ngā Uri-a-Māui players.
“‘It gives the girls a run and valuable court time. These players are worth making the effort for and they appreciate the opportunity.”
Ladies’ League
Gisborne Girls’ High School 26 (Bailey Garret-Kora 8, Kobe Brown 5, Indie Nikora 5) WOGS 69 (Ishtar Mackey-Huriwai 15, Ihipera Mackey 14, Materoa Poi 11, Reremoana Bartlett-Tamatea 10). Q1 - WOGS 16-5, HT - 30-11, Q3 - 46-18.
Gisborne Girls’ High School 56 (Pharah Brown 16, Bailey Garret-Kora 6, Riley Lewis 6) SE Systems 41 (Peyton Riri 15, Mereono Rangihaeata 11, Ella Hurley 5). Q1 - GGHS 11-2, HT - 27-9, Q3 - 42-27.
Men’s Premier Grade
City Lights 82 (Scott Muncaster 23, Kahn Grayson 19, Paora Dewes 17, Carl Riini 14) Green Up 59 (Holden Wilson 18, Safin Tuwairua-Brown 15, Dom Wilson jnr 10). Q1 - City Lights 18-16, HT - 43-28, Q3 - 59-48.
Off Limitz 55 (Israel Kerisome 16, Turanga Mauheni 13, Exodus Te Kahu 9, Robert Akuhata-Christy 7) Wairoa River Hawks 44 (Andre Mitchell 12, Qaadir Smith 12, Lee Tate 4). Q1 - Off Limitz 16-14, HT - 30-23, Q3 - 43-35.
Kiwi Lumber-Jacks 48 (Rewha Rameka 31, Izaiah Kerisome 6) Massive Marauders 58 (Auric Pocock 18, Simon Wilson 11, Stefan Pishief 8, Dom Wilson snr 7). Q1 - Marauders 17-10, HT - 27-18, Q3 - 40-36.
Gisborne Boys’ High School Senior A 71 (Ollie Tong 16, Aiden Henderson 7, Kelly Paenga-Rangihuna 7, Aiziah Craft-Chemis 7, Kingston Samuels 7, Felix Sparks 6, Sam Crosby 6) Raiders 57 (Kiwa Ria 17, Allies Rangihuna 12, Isileli Kamoto-Taliauli 9, Daley Riri 8). Q1 - GBHS 28-17, HT - 42-35, Q3 - 58-44.