Lytton mixed desperation and composure. Kiara Swannell and Manaia Hutana scored 14 points apiece and captain Jayda Waititi-Leach hit three three-pointers in her tally of 13.
All 12 of Lytton’s first-quarter points were “treys” — two to Alicia Kepa (8pts) and one each to Swannell and Waititi-Leach.
“It was a good game, fast and physical — not the outcome we wanted but we all enjoyed it,” said Waititi-Leach.
“I’m really proud of the girls for making it to the final.”
Lytton missed Honey Mokomoko in the final. She and the equally talented Maia Rickard will be their only losses in 2019.
“The Lytton girls play very structured, solid basketball,” said McMenamin. “They transitioned really well, pushed the ball up the floor quickly and played man-to-man the whole game.
“The league gets better every year — from the organisation to the teams — so it’s more enjoyable to play in as well.
“For us, it was great to be back in the final and to take it out.”
n Yes, it is a team game.
But for once the New Zealand habit of deflecting credit to the team in the name of humility could be set aside . . . just a little bit.
Lytton captain Genesis Bartlett-Tamatea scored 34 points in their 65-52 comeback win over the Young and the Useless in the men’s B-Grade final.
The 17-year-old led all scorers over all three games on grand finals day, including scoring 19 consecutive points in the second half.
“That was fast,” he said in reference to a game that hinged on Lytton’s ability not just to score, but to contain YAU’s interior threats.
“One person who stood out for us was Ron Tamatea. He boxed out, rebounded, hustled, played strongly. He made things happen.”
Jack Whaitiri (12) and Darius Waititi-Leach (11) gave their skipper scoring support while Tamatea senior and Lytton deputy principal Tim Dagger played a vital role in restricting YAU big man Stefan Pishief to nine points.
YAU led 20-8 at the end of the first period, 36-26 at the break and 40-36 at three-quartertime.
Bartlett-Tamatea scored his team’s first 10 points down the home stretch and despite the best efforts of Daley Riri (14), Quentin Harvey (10), Carew Fearnley (7) and veteran Anton Riri (6), Lytton finished the game at a hundred miles an hour.
The school’s basketball DNA is uptempo offence and man-to-man defence, with dashes of whatever else mixed in.
Pishief acknowledged the victors’ fightback.
“We led for most of the game but they surged and took it away in the end,” he said “We were also guilty of too many turnovers.
“Carew had his best game, topped off with his big three-point shot at the death. As ever, Ray Noble was a force, but once the tide turned against us there was little we could do. It was their night.”
