“We're starting to find our groove, so the aim is to play our brand of ball.”
An in-form Lights can spread the floor, lay an even-money bet on a perimeter shot falling from either corner or wherever Muncaster may be: his teammates, Ryan Walters and Carl Riini, are likewise good for 20 points when inspired.
The Raiders have been blessed in the past month with the hugely successful return to basketball of former big man Dale Hailey, whose 20 points in Week 5 saw the Willie Brown-led outfit home 48-44 against GBHS.
Brown indicated this morning that both he and legendary springheels Jason Tuapawa had niggles, but would most likely play tomorrow night.
GBHS dug deep in Week 5: marksman Weighn Wilson hit two long jumpshots in his 17-point haul, and Luka Russell and Rikki Noble put up six points apiece. But Gisborne Boys' High missed Seb Wilson with a back injury. He regularly scores in double-figures and he, Russell and William Collier provide GBHS with needed height at both ends of the court.
Ahead of the clash with Green Up, Daley Riri said: “Our first priority is to be focused from the start and play faster than we did in Week 2.”
Wilson (19pts), Russell (16) and Noble (13) led the GBHS scorers in a 73-70 win to Green Up on May 18 but Boys' High trailed 5-20, 23-43, 47-68, never ran against an older team with only one substitute and allowed Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown's gutsy, determined team to hit six of the nine three-pointers they scored, unguarded.
Holden Wilson was magnificent for 27 points in Green Up's cause. Such a shooter must be guarded.
SE Systems versus The Massive Marauders could be a grind.
In the early 2000s, clashes between the behemoth Wairoa Wizards and the more rugged participants the locals put on court had a comic element (SES and the Marauders come close in terms of size), but tomorrow night's bump-fest will likely lack slapstick.
Rongomai Smith scored 16 points in Systems' eight-point loss to City Lights last Tuesday. He hit a three-point shot, made a three-point play, scored in the low post and attacked the rim. He and Reg Namana, among others, did everything humanly possible for their team at the defensive end.
They are not men to follow up a hard-fought loss with less effort, and they will be focused on tomorrow's game. Marauders skipper Adam Harford was superb for 24 points, the biggest individual score for his team this season. He was most skilful around the hoop, scoring three consecutive field goals to start the third period and four straight to finish the game.
Harford said: “We want to play at our pace while moving the ball and defending the perimeter. Above all, we want to enjoy the game.”
His opposite, SES veteran Adrian Sparks, alluded to the close-quarters stoush to come: “First up, we have to survive the barrage inside. Then, we'll see if we can get some shooting form going.”
