City Lights beat 2024 grand finalists Green Up 82-58, while Boys’ High beat the then-champions The Raiders 71-57.
GBHS finished 2025 with a seven from 10 win-loss record, City Lights with seven from nine.
City Lights captain Scott Muncaster had no complaints.
“Tonight was Boys’ High’s night; they knocked down just about all of their shots – I missed lay-ups at the rim. What can you say? There’s not much you can do about it.”
Lights’ Paora Dewes led all scorers in the showpiece with 16 points. His fellow left-hander Max Scott hit two three-point shots.
The veterans trailed GBHS by 12 points at the end of the first period, went to the halftime break 31-31, but were 20 points behind at three-quarters.
Ollie Tong and Kelly Rangihuna used their height to advantage at both ends of the court. Rangihuna topped the Boys’ High scorers’ list with 14 points.
Powerful City Lights centre Ryan Walters was the man principally who held that pair in check, but the younger team made nine three-pointers to Lights’ three.
Dewes opened the scoring with a free-throw, only for Sparks to hit a trey from the right corner for 3-1, the first field goal on the last night.
Boys’ High didn’t take hard bumps without dishing a few out, Ryland Bright getting to the athletic Kahn Grayson as he scored for 3 to 5.
No three-point play followed, but both teams continued to attack the basket: Muncaster took the ball straight at Te Kani Wirepa-Hei in the lane for 5-5, and promising forward Rangihuna upped the ante in driving, then finding Sparks in the left corner for 8-5.
Wirepa-Hei hit a 10-foot jumpshot on the right baseline over Walters for 10-7. From the right side of the floor, Tong struck gold with a trey for 13-7. City Lights leftie Max Scott then featured in three plays that highlighted the up-and-down nature of Grand Final basketball.
Scott, who was captain of the GBHS Black unit that won their last Premier Grade title in 2018 and led Gisborne Boys’ to the NZ Schick AA National Tournament in 2019 for the first time in 28 years, fouled both Sparks and Rangihuna on three-point plays at 19-7 and 22-10 before making a trey himself for Lights 13, Boys’ High 22.
Muncaster never stopped coming, and Gisborne Boys’ refused to give way – even when, with the score at 29-26, Grayson might have given their defence the slip. It was then that Rangihuna made the unforgettable defensive play of 2025, pinning Grayson’s lay-up attempt to the backboard, right side.
The second period saw Dewes score v Tong and Wirepa-Hei for 15 to 25, Boys’ High’s Kingston Samuels produce their last field goal, and Dewes grab two late buckets for 31-31, the half-time score. Tong, benefiting from crisp ball-movement, opened the scoring in the third quarter with a three-pointer from the right corner for 34-31.
Ex-National Basketball League referee Donna Brown-Nepia and her partner Brendan Walsh controlled a fast Grand Final with aplomb. They made the important calls, but also permitted the players and crowd of 400 to relish the physicality of GBA club ball to the full.
GBHS proceeded to outgun City Lights by 26 points to six: Sam Crosby swung by the hoop in spectacular style to score, followed Tong’s three-pointer with one of his own, the precursor to Aiziah Craft-Chemis dropping Gisborne Boys’ third long jumpshot of the period.
After three-quarters, both units held to a team-first philosophy: Sparks found Rangihuna cutting to the ring for 68-49, Grayson right-side made a put-back for Muncaster at 51 to 68. Rangihuna and Wirepa-Hei, the latter with his second trey of the quarter, closed the scoring 71-51.
Scoreboard
GBA Men’s Premier Grade Club League, grand final
City Lights 51 (Carl Riini 16, Paora Dewes 11, Kahn Grayson 7, Max Scott 6, Scott Muncaster 4) Gisborne Boys’ High School Senior A 71 (Kelly Rangihuna 14, Felix Sparks 12, Te Kani Wirepa-Hei 10, Ollie Tong 9, Ryland Bright 8, Sam Crosby 7, Aidan Henderson 5. Quarter 1 GBHS 25-13, HT 31-31, Q3 GBHS 57-37.
