Horouta claim big victory over Gisborne Girls’ High

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

At its best, the last 12 hours of the club basketball season was edge of your seat stuff.

Since July 31, the four hour-long games in the ladies’ championship on Monday nights have been held at the Gisborne Boys’ High gym. Week 4 marked the return of men’s premier league action on Tuesday night and the men’s open championship held on Fridays also at Gisborne Boys’.

In ladies’ hoops, O’Shae Rangihaeata spearheaded the tough Horouta Te Waka’s 65-29 win against Gisborne Girls’ High School.

The awareness of the Waka and denial of open looks at the basket for superb young guard Riley Lewis (12) was one of the older team’s keys to victory.

Uawa 2.0 captain Tania Adamson (9) again did it all for her crew at both ends of the floor but Maia Rickard of defending champions Ngāti Porou matched Rangihaeata’s output — 21 points — in Game 1 as one of three Ngāti Porou players to score in double-figures in Game 2. Ngāti Porou had too many weapons for their hale and hearty Tolaga Bay-based opponents to counter.

Non-ballers’ 44-24 win against the 23K-Ballerz was a fast-paced game featuring many players in their first run at the YMCA. Cassidy Beauchamp (10) of the Non-ballers had a fine game offensively, as did Joelle Walker of 23K and her teammate Chenice Ahu, she of the unusual but fruitful left-handed jump-hook shot.

Dreamers’ Taimarie Matahiki (15) and Te Atahuia Matahiki (9) shone in a feisty 44-36 result v In Living Colour, for whom Amoe Wharehinga (14) and powerful forward Kellann Kemp (10) worked wonders. They carried the battle to a Dreamers unit that could find themselves in the final next month if their veterans — such as Maiangi Mackey — find their legs at the Y, and they drop more jump-shots.

City Lights got tired of playing Mr Nice Guy.

The Scott Muncaster-led defending champions of men’s premier league club basketball followed up a slow first quarter-effort against Green Bean with offensive hammer in Game 1 on Tuesday. It was 13-13 at the end of the first period, 60-56 to City Lights by the end of Game 1 and only superb guts and glory-type basketball from Green Bean kept it that close. They were razor-sharp in pinching the ball from unsuspecting City Lights ball-carriers in the first eight minutes, and made some incredibly tough shots down the home stretch. Despite the heroics of Safin Tuwairua-Brown (16) and Nuku Taylor (15), however, they struggled to contain City Lights big man Rongomai Smith (18), Ryan Walters (10) or their skipper, who put up 11.

Muncaster said: “We had a game-plan — knew that we had to use our height and make it tough for them inside the key. We know their main guys — the likes of Safin and Weighn Wilson — are like younger versions of their older brothers Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown and Holden Wilson, both of whom can really play.”

Ethan Ngarangione-Pearson of the Raiders dropped his three-point hammer on the Massive Marauders for 35 points: that accounts for the 93-51 win to his people in Game 2.

Yet for purists, the skill of Ray Noble in finding Marauder teammates Adam Harford and Luke Bradley with great passes, and they then finishing on those to make three-point plays, was a highlight. And it is worth noting that the Massive Marauders had four players score in double-figures, Luka Russell (18) the Raiders’ only other athlete to make the same claim.

Paora Dewes, Thomas Kepa, Matt Kemp and Keenan Ruru-Poharama all did the same in SE Systems’ 71-34 win against Waengapu Stallions. The Stallions’ Dylan Akurangi (10) and Manu Jones (8) gave them scoring, Raiders Biddle made a difference to their interior defence. The veterans of SES had sunk their jumpers in the preceding three weeks and can also run the floor. For them, that’s critical.

The theme of four players scoring in double-figures for a team win extended finally in Week 4 to Cody Tarei (21), Ngaru Grayson (17), William Collier (12) and their Gisborne Boys’ High School Senior A captain Felix Sparks (11), 72-51 v Coastiieez. For the Coastiieez, Mikaire Bell (16)Mahue Mahurangi (11) and Phats Takarangi (10) all did what they did with flair. The last game of the night was unstructured - ad-lib which sometimes paid off, sometimes didn’t - but it was fun to watch.

SCOREBOARD

Friday, Men’s open, Week 3: Uawa AMP 54 (Paddy Blackman 14, Kerehama Blackman 14, Costa Blackman 13) Rizzlies 60 (James  Aston 18, Juan Manuel Marg 18, Israel Kerisome 12 - Q1 8-8 Rizzlies 17-9, HT 28-25, Q3 58-39)

Gizzy Gilas 36 (Raymond Salvation 13, Raphael Heria 6, Cabinian Francis 6) Uawa 56 (Jesse Saywell 18, Keanu Reedy 16, Raenin Pomana 6 - Q1 10-10, HT Uawa 32-18, Q3 46-29)

Old Surfers 55 (Micah Tapsell 15, Matt Mackle 12, Ben Payne 7, Jamie Swift 6) Paikea Whalers 60 (Dom Wilson 34, Isaiah Leach 11 - Q1 Paikea Whalers 20-11, HT 44-29, Q3 55-43)

Setting Suns 64 (Mike King 16, Tawhiti Rehutai 15, Xavier Solomon 6) Horouta 38 (Hone Waitoa 13, Bjorn Raroa-Haraki 10 - Q1 21-10, HT 36-22, Q3 50-29)

Monday, Women’s championship, Week 4: Horouta 65 (O’Shae Rangihaeata 21, Shinae Terekia 17, Kennedy Sarich 12) Gisborne Girls’ High School 29 (Riley  Lewis 12, Nevaeh Smith 8 - Q1 Horouta 12-10, HT 35-14, Q3 49-21)

Uawa 2.0 19 (Tania Adamson 9, Jorja Tuapawa 6) Ngāti Porou 73 (Maia Rickard 21, Bronya McMenamin 18, Kawai Winiata 16, Ata Mangu 8, Tiara Weir 7 - Q1 Ngati Porou 17-4, HT 34-11, Q3 54-18)

Non-ballers 44 (Cassidy Beauchamp 10, Mikila Takarangi 10, Lischa-Rae Smith 9, Rahia Timutimu 5) 23K-Ballerz 24 (Joelle Walker 8, Jess Crawford 6, Chenice Ahu 6 - Q1 Non-ballers 11-2, HT 22-8, Q3 34-14)

In Living Colour 36 (Amoe Wharehinga 14, Kellann Kemp 10, Dyani Johnson 6) Dreamers 44 (Taimarie Matahiki 15, Te Atahuia Matahiki 9, Maiangi Mackey 6, Piper Donaldson 5 p- Q1 Dreamers 15-7, HT 24-10, Q3 32-23)

Tuesday, Men’s premier championship, Week 4: City Lights 60 (Rongomai Smith 18, Scott Muncaster 11, Ryan Walters 10) Green Bean 56 (Safin Tuwairua-Brown 16, Nuku Taylor 15, Weighn Wilson 8 - Q1 13-13, HT City Lights 33-23, Q3 48-31)

Massive Marauders 51 (Adam Harford 13, Luke Bradley 12, Daley Riri 11, Simon Wilson 11) Raiders 93 (Ethan Ngarangione-Pearson 35, Luka Russell 18, Jason Tuapawa 9, Nelson Brown 8 - Q1 Raiders 20-18, HT 40-31, Q3 70-41)

SE Systems 71 (Paora Dewes 17, Thomas Kepa 16, Matt Kemp 13, Keenan Ruru-Poharama 12) Waengapu Stallions 34 (Dylan Akurangi 10, Manu Jones 8 - Q1 SE Systems 20-6, HT 41-12, Q3 54-26)

Gisborne Boys’ High School Senior A 72 (Cody Tarei 21, Ngaru Grayson 17, William Collier 12, Felix Sparks 11) Coastiieez 51 (Mikaire Bell 16, Mahue Mahurangi 11, Phats Takarangi 10, Daniel Low 8 - Q1 GBHS 24-14, HT 41-27, Q3 51-40)