“We know how to beat them — they have to try to find a way to beat us.”
The Filthy Dozen will need to rally on their own boards at the YMCA come 7.45pm as Luke Bradley has a minor back injury. Wilson, Tui and dynamo Wi Brown are solid defensive rebounders and Willie Brown gives them a second jumpshooter. Brown retains the same ability to finish that marked him out as a natural scorer during his time at GBHS, while Wilson has grand final-winning touch, aka 2011.
SE Systems v Uawa will not be for the faint of heart. Historically, Uawa and East Coast teams have featured both Harley Phillips and Rikki Kernohan. Kernohan was a superb guard in his younger days: these days, he is just as athletic but a full foot taller at 6’3” or 6’4”.
From earliest days, SE Systems have been at their best on the ground, running a structured offence, and using their bulk to deny quicker opponents a path to the basket. They are, as the saying goes, a “blue collar” team.
There’s pride on the line at the John McFarlane Memorial Sports Centre tonight.
The Genesis Bartlett-Tamatea-led Lytton High School meets Campion College at 5.45pm and GBHS Black play the Dragons at 6.45pm. Boys’ High Red can’t wait to take the floor against the High Fliers. The Fliers defaulted last week, and on the back of their strong showing last Monday, Red captain Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown’s keenness is based in large part on the potential of first 15 forwards Ofa Tauatevalu and Khian Westrupp in the front-court. Both scored in double figures last on opening night.
Black captain Sam Veitch put together 23 points against Lytton; if he returns those types of scoring numbers against not just the college teams but also the adult teams, Black could have a successful season.
Rare is the high school forward who goes toe-to-toe with the adult teams in terms of physicality, who challenges them and holds his own.
Early last season, the Dragons looked as if they would be a major force in the league — but they finished 2017 in third place, winning the play-off 48-47 v the Coast. They were and are capable of more than that but first things first, they need to play. Last week they beat the High Fliers by default.
If Bartlett-Tamatea can score 19 points against Campion this evening, Lytton will be in the hunt. If he again plays the full 40 minutes — as he did v GBHS Black — then he will almost certainly score 20-plus points.
Campion big man Tahran Ward was good for 11 points last week — success for LHS goes hand-in-hand with containing him.
Ward’s team has the edge in size all-round. Lytton must make team work and quick, slick skills the deciding factor.
Draws for this week
Men, tonight, at the YMCA —
5.45pm The Young and the Useless v East
Coast
6.45pm Uawa v SE Systems
7.45pm City Lights v The Filthy Dozen
Tonight at the John McFarlane Memorial Sports Centre, Gisborne Boys’ High School —
5.45pm Lytton High School v Campion College
6.45pm GBHS Black v Dragons
7.45pm GBHS Red v High Fliers
Women, tomorrow, at the YMCA —
5.30pm Gisborne Girls’ High School v Lytton
High School
6.30pm Campion College v Uawa
7.30pm Ngati Porou v Paikea
8.30pm RFNZ30 v Rebels
