Ngati Porou defend title

CHAMPIONS: Women’s club basketball champions Ngati Porou celebrate after their 56-40 victory over Lytton in the final on Tuesday night. Ngati Porou are, back from left: Shay Waikawa, Lauryn Matenga-Houia, Ngamoko Toroa, Paare Ahuriri-Leach and Ata Mangu. Front: Bronya McMenamin and Tiara Weir. Pictures by Paul Rickard

Not even Ngati Porou can make the clock stand still, but arguably the best team in the history of women’s basketball here confirmed — with their 56-40 victory v Lytton High School in the 2019 final — that they are adaptable and for as long as this group competes together, they will take some beating.

“That was hard and fast — Lytton are a good team, they ran all night, didn’t let up,” said Ngati Porou’s Bronya McMenamin, who made special mention of her opposite as captain, Jayda Waititi-Leach.

“Jayda reads the game, she’s a good playmaker and she’s quick.”

Tiara Weir (Ngati Porou) scored 25 points and led all scorers in the women’s final; she, McMenamin (13) and Shay Waikawa (three three-point shots) shone for the defending champions, with the caveat that Ngamako Toroa (7pts, including a three-point shot and a three-point play), Pare Ahuriri-Leach and Lauryn Matenga-Houia all matched the big guns in terms of defensive hustle, cutting Lytton’s think-time and options. Ata Mangu — so often the match-winner — this year contented herself with five rebounds, five assists, four rebounds, three steals and one field goal.

LHS beat YMCA Riverina 61-29 in semifinal No.1 and played with real courage and determination on Tuesday night . . . but few of their shots fell in the first quarter.

Two-hundred-and-fifty YMCA fans saw Waititi-Leach, who led LHS to the title in 2017, attack the defending champions’ basket. Weir and McMenamin rule the roost at their own end and so the younger team — having missed the three-point shots and 10 to 12-foot jump-shots off Waititi-Leach’s dribble-penetration — had two choices: they could drive on Ngati Porou in the half-court, or try to outrun them. Lytton 13-year-olds Piper Donaldson (11) and O’shae Rangihaeata (9pts) joined their captain in doing both wherever possible.

Ngati Porou were 17-8, 23-12 and 39-29 up throughout a pulsating final. Weir spun off Donaldson low-left at the hoop to open the scoring. Waikawa hit a long three-pointer to end the first quarter; Lytton’s Kiara Swannell hit a 20-footer from the left-wing a minute-and-a-half into the second period.

There were lighter moments after halftime: Mangu’s hilarious charge v LHS forward Reremoana Bartlett-Tamatea; Toroa’s stumbling jump-hook after a bump from Alicia Kepa near the free-throw line.

The three referee system (employed for the first time in the 2019 women’s league for the final) saw Cliff Blumfield, Adrian Sparks and Reggie Namana on duty; a vigilant Namana as trail official nabbing Swannell under the hoop for a foul on Weir two minutes from three-quartertime: Weir completed a three-point play, for 36-28.

Waititi-Leach (nine pts) hit a three-pointer, a mid-range shot, to end one of the scrappiest sequences of the year and a soft-touch right-hand lay-up (as she headed past the basket) to complete Lytton’s scoring. But Weir — with 0.489 seconds remaining — had the last word. As with Gisborne Boys’ High School Red guard Holden Wilson’s three-pointer on full-time in the 2019 men’s grand final, or Jimmy Wilson of Purp and Yellow’s buzzer-beater v Bladez in 2011 — with point-five seconds left on the clock, Weir kept form in the shot.

“My girls made a huge effort and did well,” Waititi-Leach said.

“It’s great to play in a final.”