Muncaster would appreciate a few more refereeing calls going the way of CL at the YMCA tonight, but in reality the standard of officiating has been higher in the past two years than was the case during the 10 years before that. The legendary Cliff Blumfield, Ethan Ngarangione-Pearson and Jamieson Tapsell, among others, will see Muncaster, Tuwairua-Brown and company right.
Last week the Raiders recorded their second win of the season against City Lights but while Raiders skipper Willie Brown was happy with that latest 53-52 result, he takes nothing —and no other team — for granted.
“SE Systems are strong and they’ll be hard to beat,” said Brown, who looked like a man on a mission during pre-match warm-ups on opening night, when he put up 22 points.
Gisborne Basketball Association fans can expect the big men of Systems to be hard-nosed tonight. Wi Brown and the rest of Dale Hailey’s supporting cast must share the scoring load with him. It cannot be desperate scoop-shots over wide bodies in a zone half-court defence.
To outrun the still supremely effective SES must surely be their first option: Wi Brown, Dom Wilson and Zade Donner can all fly in the open court. They need to, because Rongomai Smith, Reg Namana and the Systems crew will neither budge an inch nor chase them unless, in the latter case, time becomes a factor.
Gisborne Boys’ High School A have returned from a won-one/lost-two excursion to Hawke’s Bay at the weekend with confidence and structure intact. Coach Keenan Ruru-Poharama’s outfit may be on the verge of becoming a solid team. They are working hard at their team game and the improvement in Daley Riri and Ngaru Grayson as guards has been sensational.
Riri’s quickness and Grayson’s shooting ability serve GBHS well. Weighn Wilson has taken note and has hit his straps from the perimeter in the past month.
William Collier, Seb Wilson and Luka Russell have the size and strength to challenge the Massive Marauders at the defensive end.
They can take offensive rebounds if they are prepared to contest possession against two-metre-tall Stefan Pishief and his powerful captain Adam Harford.
They, Paul Graham and company will give GBHS nothing if they can help it.
It all rolls on from 5.30pm tonight at the YMCA.
