In the absence of regular captain Sebastian Wilson, Ngaru Grayson (29pts) and Nuku Patea-Taylor (16) took up the burden of scoring for GBHS.
The game had its highs and hilarious troughs: Ngarangione-Pearson blitzed the boards to open the scoring and hit the first trey of Week 9 before his air-dunk at the three-minute mark. An air-dunk has the would-be scorer lose the ball on the way up; a glassball has a shot angled off the backboard miss the hoop; and a blown dunk is a botched attempt to hammer the ball home.
These things are as memorable a feature of basketball as anything else, even the classy finish Raiders big man Cody Tarei (16pts) made right-side against athletic Ziya Swann for 34-18.
Swann in the last while has begun to come into his own and in the third period that shone through, with a three-pointer right side of the court for 43-48 and a driving scoop-shot for 55-61. Pearson made a dunk-shot for 79-64, and the 6ft 7in Tarei (16) then hit two three-pointers (his first trey in that sequence was taken from one metre beyond the arc).
Raiders were placed third, GBHS fourth and the second top shooting display from Keenan Ruru-Poharama in a fortnight helped his SE Systems crew beat the Massive Marauders 82-39.
Ruru-Poharama hit seven three-point shots in his 27-point tally, with Dom Wilson (19) and Wi Brown (10) also scoring in double-digits for SES.
Systems dropped 12 three-pointers on their fellow veterans, yet — despite the bombardment — the Marauders never gave the game away. Adam Harford (16) led SE’s scorers while Stefan Pishief (14) again proved able to make strong plays at the rim. His skill in doing so was a feature of the game.
Systems ruled on the scoreboard 21-9, 44-19 and 70-30 as the team’s season ended with the playoff for fifth and sixth.
Referee Donna Nepia, who since her return to Gisborne has been as sharp as any on the floor, made a superb decision in favour of the defence two minutes before quartertime. Marauders’ Luke Bradley took an offensive charge (one of the game’s most contentious calls) from Quaydon Chaffey-Kora with Systems up 14-7.
The interplay between Pishief and Marauders’ other heavyweights (namely Harford and Ray Noble) saw them grind even as SE treys fell: Pishief shuffled by Harford, caught a lob left-side to score for 14-32. Wilson hit a three-pointer in answer, Harford found Pishief slashing to the hoop right-side for 18-39.
Massive Marauders guard Luke Bradley made one of their few jump-shots for 23-47, Sparks scored over Harford for 61-31 and following that came a play that drew the crowd to its feet: Noble blocking Sparks’ lay-up attempt, with Systems 74-32 ahead. Sparks missed both free-throws.
Pishief said: “SE Systems had a blinder. They put full-court pressure on us — even though we managed to find gaps, our offence was rushed and shots weren’t dropping. Well done to SE on playing their best game of the season.”
