Ngati Porou come through

Basketball Ngati Porou v GHS - Paige Tamatea, Bronya McMenamin

Who can win a semifinal with four players?

The answer to that question is: the Bronya McMenamin-led defending women's A Grade club basketball champions Ngati Porou.

They beat Stretchmarks 41-29 in the 1 v 4 clash at the YMCA last night; a game for which Stretchmarks' veterans rose to the occasion. McMenamin (15 points) and teammate Jayda Waititi-Leach (13pts) led all scorers in Game 2 of Week 6, but Stretchmarks' Dyani Johnson and Janelle Te Rauna-Lamont (7pts) played with unbelievable energy.

Referees Ethan Ngarangione-Pearson and Reggie Namana also did the Gisborne Basketball Association proud in last night's semifinals with their consistency, even-handedness and attention to detail.

McMenamin opened the scoring with a mid-range jump shot but Stretchmarks' Johnson, Wanita Tuwairua-Brown and Tania Bartlett all proved hard for Ngati Porou to get past in a tight first period, at the end of which the champions led 6-1.

Stretchmarks' Amoe Tarsau squeezed between defenders McMenamin and Shay Waikawa low-left to get things going in the second quarter, before the Ngati Porou skipper went to a different level.

McMenamin scored from a back-to-the-basket move low post, left side against Richelle Tarsau for 13-5 and later curled left-to-right around Johnson for the lay-up at 18-9.

Stretchmarks came to life late, Te Rauna-Lamont hitting a measured three-point shot, but Ngati Porou nevertheless led 18-13 at the break.

The third quarter was played at a fierce pace. The first field goal came from Stretchmarks guard Courtney Stubbins' one-in-a-hundred assist to Te Rauna-Lamont, an incredible crosscourt pass off the right sideline — from behind halfway — for the left-hander to gather at speed and convert for Stretchmarks 15 Ngati Porou 18.

With 7 minutes 35 seconds to play in in the third period, Ngati Porou were reduced to four players with the loss of Tiara Weir as the pace of the game picked up again. This was evident in a three-point play by McMenamin, a put-back by hard-working Stretchmarks forward Richelle Tarsau, a 20 foot-shot by Shay Waikawa and Stubbins' teardrop from the right baseline — the last basket before three-quartertime — for Stretchmarks 20 Ngati Porou 34.

Stubbins was lively throughout. In the fourth period she scored off a put-back for Johnson, and she gave Tuwairua-Brown an assist. Both plays were made from offensive rebounds. Waikawa again had the last word, with a long three-pointer.

“Basketball is pumping at the moment — lots of young players are getting exposure; all we need is a new stadium,” Gisborne Basketball Association chairman Dwayne Tamatea said.

“It's awesome to have people playing and volunteering to help with contact tracing — just a great team effort by everyone for our biggest-ever club ball season.”

The 2 v 3 semi between last year's beaten finalists and 2018 champions Lytton High School and Manu Tu should rightly be remembered as “the bumper boat bout”. It was chock-full of rugged Gisborne basketball reminiscent of Manu Tu's previous reincarnation as Mackeys.

Lytton won the match — described by Manu Tu captain Melissa Mackey-Huriwai as “a good tough game from start to finish” — 25-19.

Her opposite, Amoe Wharehinga of Lytton High, said: “It was a nail-biter. Mana Tu's hardcore defence definitely put pressure on us, but I'm so proud of the girls for keeping their composure — everyone played their part and executed their roles.”

Jett Pohatu played her best game to date for Manu Tu and led their scorers with four points. Her involvement was total and she was effective at both ends, scoring off a put-back for teammate Ishtar Mackey-Huriwai in the first period and making the best defensive play of women's basketball this year with an incredible block on Hinewaipounamu Rangihuna at LHS 22 Manu Tu 16 in the third period.

Rangihuna on the run cut hard from the left wing and had a clear path to the hoop. Pohatu — from a standstill position on Rangihuna's right — timed the block perfectly.

From 5-5 at quartertime, 17-12 up at the break and 23-18 in front going into the fourth period, Lytton were tested.

In the first quarter, Jody Walters drove at Melissa Mackey-Huriwai, who did not just tie the ball up, but lifted the offensive player (ball in hands) off the ground as the mighty Sonia Terekia of Burger Wisconsin often did 20 years ago.

So next Monday will see a replay of last year's A Grade final, as Lytton look to reclaim their women's crown of two seasons ago against Ngati Porou, who since the heady days of Burger Wisconsin have been the gold standard for women's club ball.

Despite the heroics of Peyton Riri (who, with B Grade Manu Toa's Taimarie Matahiki, led all scorers in both women's divisions in Week 6 with 19 points), Dem Air Ballers beat Riri's Gisborne Girls' High School 40-34 for fifth place in the A Grade.

SE Systems beat Horouta in 1 v 4 of the B Grade to make the B Grade final — Anna Spring scored 11 points for SES — and their opponents will be Manu Toa, who beat Riverina 39-29 last night at the John McFarlane Memorial Sports Centre.

Women's A Grade semifinals —

Gisborne YMCA

Playoff for fifth: Dem Air Ballers 40 (Harata Hailey 18, Kiara Swannell 8) GGHS 34 (Peyton Riri 19, Zenda Moeke 6) Q1, DAB 13-10, Q2, 22-15, Q3, 30-30.

1 v 4: Ngati Porou 41 (Bronya McMenamin 15, Jayda Waititi-Leach 13) v Stretchmarks 29 (Dyani Johnson 7, Janelle Te Rauna-Lamont 7) Q1, NP 6-1, Q2, 18-13, Q3, 34-20.

2 v 3: Lytton HS 25 (Amoe Wharehinga 9, Piper Donaldson 7) Manu Tu 19 (Jett Pohatu 4) Q1, 5-5, Q2, LHS 17-12, Q3, 23-18.

Women's B Grade semifinals

John McFarlane Memorial Sports Centre, Gisborne Boys' High School

2 v 3: Manu Toa 39 (Taimarie Matahiki 19, Amo Te Rauna-Lamont 9, Trieste Wilson 8) Riverina 29 (Natalie Te Kani 11, Naopa Tabudravu 8) Q1, MT 14-5, Q2, 30-9, Q3, 37-16.

1 v 4: SE Systems 38 (Anna Spring 11, Lily Sparks 8) Horouta 17 (Cass Beauchamp 5, Challise Rutene 4) Q1, 6-6, Q2, SES 19-8, Q3, 25-10.