A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
The hour grows short for club basketball.
Two weeks out from the biggest night of the year for men's premier grade, the women's competition and men's open hoops, the teams are steeling themselves to take things up a notch.
The women's competition was fierce last night. At Tolaga Bay, Uawa Tuakana Teina beat Uawa Hard 34-27 for fifth place in the local derby. In Gisborne at the YMCA, 2021 finalists Ngati Porou won the 1 v 4 semifinal against Horouta 38-32 and second-placed Team 2022 beat Matariki 53-27.
Ngati Porou captain Bronya McMenamin said their game was clinical and physical, as expected.
McMenamin (11 points) led all scorers in the clash with Te Waka, whose skipper Shinae Terekia (4pts) played tough, uncompromising defence to the end.
Her testy battle with towering Ngati Porou forward Tiara Weir (6pts) was an enjoyable highlight of a game in which the former led all the way — 10-7, 16-12 and 27-24.
“We love the game for its physicality, grind and the need to step up,” said Terekia, whose crew began their season with a one-shot loss to Matariki.
“Clutch three-pointers from Jada and Chiarn kept Ngati Porou's hopes alive when we might have run away with it,” Terekia said.
“We admire the grit and intensity from Miri Callaghan — who outmuscled us a few times — as well as Renee Stewart.
“For us, Jasmine Sparks (6pts) brought the heat and Ngarita Ehau-Taumanu (9), Tamara Te Hau-Hedge (5) and Paare Ahuriri-Leach kept it solid for us throughout the game.”
Team 2022 are a team of leaders.
They showed courage and character, in the absence of regular captain Melissa Mackey-Huriwai, to beat Matariki 53-27.
Three Team 2022 members — Maiangi Mackey (17pts), Bridget Dick (10) and Jett Pohatu (10) — scored in double-figures and Pohatu's emergence there could be big for them. Dick hit the boards hard and Mackey, ever the lively influence, opened the scoring: Pohatu found her on the curl left-to-right for a jump-hook in the key.
The game's other memorable sequences included Matariki's Riley Lewis haring back on defence to force a missed lay-up from Amoe Wharehinga. Lewis then got the ball up to Alex Campbell-Ratapu (12pts) for a trey from the right corner, and Matariki were on the score-board at 4-3.
Pohatu's defensive presence caused O'Shae Rangihaeata to step out of court for a turnover later in the first period, Campbell-Ratapu hitting her second three-pointer from the right side of the court soon after.
The outstanding referee's call of the night was made by Donna Nepia for Matariki's Paige Tamatea, who ran back left side to cut Mackey off from the basket, jumped to block the shot-attempt with her hands straight up so as not to foul — even as Mackey bounced off her.
Uawa Tuakana Teina 34 Uawa Hard 27.
Semifinal 1, 1 v 4: Ngati Porou 38 (Bronya McMenamin 11, Renee Stewart 9, Chiarn Waikawa 6, Tiara Weir 6, Jayda Waititi-Leach 6) Horouta 32 (Ngarita Ehau-Taumanu 9, Jasmine Sparks 6, Kiara Swannell 6, Tamara Te Hau-Hedge 5). Q1 Ngati Porou 10-7, HT 16-12, Q3 27-24.
Semifinal 2, 2 v 3: Team 2022 53 (Maiangi Mackey 17, Jett Pohatu 10, Bridget Dick 10) Matariki 27 (Alex Campbell-Ratapu 12, Paige Tamatea 5). Q1 Team 2022 13-8, HT 32-10, Q3 44-21.
Tonight's men's premier-grade action is must-see stuff. At 6pm, SE Systems will play the Massive Marauders in a “friendly” that could be rugged, at 7pm competition leaders City Lights take on the Raiders in 1 v 4. At 8pm, last year's champions Green Up face coach Keenan Ruru-Poharama's in-form Gisborne Boys' High School.
Ruru-Poharama confirmed his crew's keenness to play, and captain Sebastian Wilson spoke of excitement levels rising along with awareness of the need to stop Green Up's guards.
The departure of the 2021 champions' chief offensive threat, Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown, is good news for Boys' High but his replacement as captain, Holden Wilson, can on any given night explode for 30-plus.
He will need to, as Tuwairua-Brown put up 25, teammate Paddy Blackman 17 in a game GBHS won 79-67 in Week 4. Wilson (29pts), Ngaru Grayson (16) and Nuku Patea-Taylor (12) were outstanding then. It will take some doing to better that performance — or that game, as entertainment.