Muncaster, who led all scorers in the two men’s finals played last night with 34 points, expanded on “sheesh”.
“That was a nail-biter — everyone left it all out there — and the best grand final I’ve been a part of,” he said.
“That’s a heck of a good Boys’ High team.”
Head referee Cliff Blumfield said the crowd noise last night matched that of a Rising Suns second-division home game.
And, as an old boy of Gisborne Boys’ High, he said that GBHS Red in 2019 under Dwayne Tamatea were the best Boys’ High team he’d seen in nearly six decades.
Carlos Pedraza (17pts), Zade Donner (13pts) and big man Ryan Walters (8pts) helped Muncaster to keep City Lights on life support.
Boys’ High led 27-24, 52-45 and 64-63 at the quarters.
Holden Wilson (nine three-point shots in 33pts), Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown (22pts) and captain Max Scott (10pts) were the GBHS scorers in double-figures.
If the older team had allowed themselves to be outrun, they would have been overrun.
The grand final was played at breakneck pace from the moment Ofa Tauatevalu won the opening tip for GBHS. Both he and City Lights strongman Walters got up to block shots. Boys’ High’s Isaia Lemaua hit a three-pointer from the right corner in the first period, his teammate Tauatevalu (5pts) made a three-point play towards halftime in a see-saw battle full of pure basketball.
The most spectacular individual play was made in the fifth minute by Tuwairua-Brown, who drove out of the left corner, past Muncaster down the baseline and swung through beneath the hoop for 17-15 on the reverse lay-up. Such shots are a rarity.
“City Lights were sensational,” Boys’ High captain Scott said.
“They were very effective in the paint and came back from what was, at one stage, a 17-point deficit. Congrats to them.”
Boys’ High head coach and former first division point guard Tamatea gave an expert take on the contest.
“We got off to a hot start but didn’t put our foot on the throat,” he said.
“City Lights are too good a team to let come back at you.
“There were momentum shifts — so many things happened in what was an awesome game.”
City Lights 83 (Scott Muncaster 34, Carlos Pedraza 17, Zade Donner 13, Ryan Walters 8) GBHS Red 81 (Holden Wilson 33, Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown 22, Max Scott 10). Quarter scores: GBHS Red led 27-24, 52-45, 64-63.
City Lights 83 (Scott Muncaster 34, Carlos Pedraza 17, Zade Donner 13, Ryan Walters 8) GBHS Red 81 (Holden Wilson 33, Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown 22, Max Scott 10). Quarter scores: GBHS Red led 27-24, 52-45, 64-63.
A lot has been happening at the Boys’ High gym.
The John McFarlane Memorial Sports Centre is where, for eight weeks, the on-court development of Shane McClutchie’s Campion College basketball team took place and last night was showtime.
The Orlando Pedraza-led Campion side are back-to-back men’s B Grade club basketball champions. They beat Lytton High School 83-30, that 53-point margin Campion’s biggest margin of victory against Lytton.
Pedraza scored 21 points, with support from player-coach Paora Dewes (17pts) and Tana Ward (16pts).
Lytton’s Ben Greaves was their leading scorer (11pts) and he hit three three-point shots — rich reward for one of their most committed players. Campion led 27-5, 40-12, 59-23 throughout what was for them a dream final.
Ward hit three three-pointers in the first period during which, by way of contrast, Lytton committed a shot-clock violation in the sixth minute and promising youngster Raenin Pihema later hit a cable attached to the backboard with his shot from the right corner. Both teams made great plays — Nelson Brown, a three-point play for Campion for 42-12 at the expense of Lytton captain Darius Waititi-Leach (5pts), and Lytton deputy principal Tim Dagger’s superb defensive rebound and outlet pass to Pihema when Campion led 55-18.
Waititi-Leach, who played well this season and followed in the footsteps of Genesis Bartlett-Tamatea in terms of leading Lytton to the B Grade final, said: “We’ve improved as a team — with our shooting and defence, for instance — and this young group never gave up. I was proud of them.”
Campion College 83
(Orlando Pedraza 21, Paora Dewes 17, Tana Ward 16)
Lytton High School 30
(Ben Greaves 11,
Darius Waititi-Leach 5).
Quarter scores:
Campion College led 27-5,
40-12, 59-23.
