Old School captain Namana said it was a good team effort, and the rotation with three substitutes worked well.
“We made our easy stuff, hit jump shots, applied pressure, got turnovers and scored,” he said.
“We drew energy from their turnovers and scored off those.”
Smith scored 25 points in the last meeting but these days Old School have great team balance in scoring. They led 13-11 at the end of the first period, 20-13 at the break and 54-29 at three-quartertime.
Both Phillips and Namana made three-point plays in the third period. East Coast’s Whetu Haworth (12pts) never stopped looking to put shots up and teammate Drae Calles hit three three-pointers, but the Coast were outsized. Despite the best efforts of Ezra Paul and Tondra Gerrard in the key, it was a struggle for them to get near the rim.
In the heat of battle there were still lighter moments — Smith’s blowing a dunk-shot in the first period and later the normally sedate Gary Harding inexplicably losing the ball to another veteran, the Coast’s Josh Calles, near halfway as he walked the ball up the court — but for the most part, the first semifinal was a grind.
“It was what we expected — intense,” Coast captain Brandon Paul (7pts) said.
“As well as being tough inside, they pass and cut well. Still, it’s been a good season. Whetu can shoot; he proved it tonight. We’ll be back next year.”
The league has adjusted its scheduling of the second semifinal so that defending champions City Lights and the Dragons can both be at full strength.
The game will be held on Monday next week.
It is an excellent move by the Gisborne Basketball Association, whose marshals have been responsive to player and club requirements throughout the season.
One good man can make a world of difference.
In the opening game last night, that man was Campion College old boy Carlos Pedraza. Against Lytton High School, he scored 25 points in Campion’s biggest club basketball win — 65-40.
It was Campion’s most dominant performance since their club basketball debut in 1999.
Pedraza, 20, scored the first field goal five seconds into the game, courtesy of an assist from 15-year-old brother Orlando, sank three three-pointers and made the play of the season four and a half minutes into the game.
Giant centre Konnor Gibson took a defensive rebound. Without turning, he flicked the ball left-side to Pedraza who took two dribbles and sent a flat cross-court pass to the running Tana Ward, who angled off the right wing and made the catch and right-handed lay-up behind Tane Wills-Aranga in one movement. Also amazing was Wills-Aranga’s effort to get back on defence.
The 16-year-old Ward played his game of the season to score 24 points, including five three-pointers.
Campion led 26-4, 42-16 and 55-29 through the quarters.
To their great credit, Lytton fought back from quartertime, Louie Rangihuna for the first time in 2017 showing strength close to the basket as well as his usual good shooting touch 15 feet from the hoop.
Rangihuna (16pts) and Darius Waititi-Leach (11pts) shone for Lytton, and the officials also had a night to remember.
Lead referee Shay Waikawa picked up Lytton forward Ben Greaves, playing behind Fraser Robb, for a push as Robb received the entry pass on the right side of the hoop — an excellent call and the province of alert and vigorous whistle-blowers only.
Campion coach Shane McClutchie said it had been a good season.
“Our aim was to develop players, but older guys have come back to help out — and we’re grateful for that,” he said.
“We’ve improved 40 percent. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ll keep working.”
Both teams missed key players. Campion’s Ollie Simpson sat at courtside with an injury to his right ankle, while Lytton captain Genesis Bartlett-Tamatea missed the game with a fractured left thumb.
Bartlett-Tamatea said he had not seen Rangihuna play a game like that since they both played for Ngati Porou at under-13 rep level.
“All the boys tried hard — they play their hearts out.”
It was an all-action battle that ended like “Came a Hot Friday”.
In a fiery finish to Gisborne Boys’ High School’s 59-53 win against Auto Go Pure Sound, the “Pound” fouled in an effort to stop the clock, and Boys’ High guard Holden Wilson.
But Wilson held his nerve. He scored seven points for the game, a feat matched by Karlyle Te Maari.
Boys’ High’s scoring was led by Psalm Taylor and Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown, with 22 points each.
Boys’ High sank seven three-point shots in total, Sam Veitch dropping his from the top of the circle to give his side a one-point lead (11-10) to end the first period.
At the break, Boys’ High were still 31-18 ahead but by three-quartertime, Pure Sound’s mighty Dale Hailey had brought his team back to life, and Boys’ High’s advantage was cut to four points (42-38).
Hailey’s three-point play going into Tawhiti Rehutai, and Reggie Namana’s three-point play against Brandon Paul in the game following, were on a par in terms of experience winning out, because Rehutai — like Paul — is a good defensive player.
Hailey’s 27 points included a three-point play.
Wi Brown scored eight points, six of which he produced in a strong second-quarter effort.
“That was a good game,” Boys’ High coach Dwayne Tamatea said.
“We started off on fire but, most importantly, we didn’t lose confidence when momentum swung back their way.”
Pure Sound captain Billy Maxwell said his side ran harder last night than they had all season.
“Our plan was to feed the post — Dale inside — and it worked,” he said.
“He was unstoppable. We did everything we could to upset their structure but that team does the basics. They’ve got promise.”
