Orlando Pedraza scored 16 points in Campion’s 64-38 win over the Gizzy Gilahs. File picture by Paul Rickard
BASKETBALL
The basketball gods must be crazy.
Campion College captain Orlando Pedraza hit buzzer-beating three-point shots on halftime and three-quartertime — the second of which was a 30-footer — in Campion’s 53-49 win against Gisborne Boys’ High School Red. That entire Week 9 club ball game was pure drama, the College having lost Nelson Brown to concussion with seven and a half minutes left to play in the fourth period. Campion led by two points, the score 41-39.
A phenomenal effort from the Young and the Useless saw them get up to beat East Coast 39-37 on the broad back of Sport Gisborne-Tairawhiti chief executive Stefan Pishief. The 6ft 7in forward scored 18 points in possibly the cleanest game of the season.
And to get the ball rolling last night, the GBHS Senior A team fired up with a 76-43 win against Wairoa College. Veteran visiting coach Keith Lewis said — in reference to the Gisborne team’s Sam Veitch and Ofa Tauatavalu — “They’re very big boys.”
Veitch hammered that fact home with a monster dunk on Wairoa’s Whare Ropotini and Raukura Waihape for 37-23 to end the first half. The last dunk-shot of that magnitude made by a GBHS player at the YMCA was two-time sportsman of the year Scott Colebourne’s defining moment in the Super 8 win against Hamilton in 1999.
Veitch (18 points), Holden Wilson (18), Tauatevalu (12), captain Max Scott (11) and Khian Westrupp (10) gave Boys’ High five scorers in double figures, while, for Wairoa, classy guard Joey Ormond (16) shot the ball with fine form.
The visitors’ captain, Taurion Colquhoun, hit two long jump shots but while the gap was only four points at quartertime (17-13 to GBHS), by the break Boys’ High were 37-23 in front and by three-quartertime led 55-35.
Even good hustle from Waihape (five points in the third period) couldn’t keep the home team in check. Wilson’s confidence was high and with a minute to play in the third quarter — momentum with Gisborne in the front-court — Veitch slipped a pass back to Westrupp on the drive. Westrupp’s footwork by defenders and switch from left to right hand on the scoop-shot for 51-33 was a superb play.
Pedraza was equally impressive for Campion in Game 2 last night. He scored 26 points — including three three-pointers — and curled around a screen at the top of the key to to lay the ball up for 13-10, the last basket of the first period.
GBHS led 26-22 at halftime. The ball had left Pedraza’s fingers in the left corner when the halftime buzzer sounded, and while some in the crowd had sat as they were on that shot, young and old rose as one when he beat the three-quartertime siren — for 41-39 — with 1.3 seconds left.
Isaiah Lemaua was Gisborne Boys’ High’s No.1 scorer with 21 points, including three three-pointers. His teammates Caleb Mokomoko and Zorik Peneha both scored six points.
GBHS refused to go away despite the fact that Campion were making some difficult shots. Powerful Campion forward Tahran Ward (11pts) produced a crucial three-point play in the fourth quarter and his younger brother, Tana Ward (12pts), is one of the quickest players in the men’s club league and it was his hyperstep through the Boys’ High defence — his right-hand lay-up swinging wide past the basket — that sealed Campion’s win 53-49.
It was an incredible shot to make under pressure.
Campion coach Shane McClutchie, a survivor of the “Wild West” club ball of the 1990s, said: “It was a good game — we changed our offensive approach after halftime, and we’re happy to take the win.”
Pedraza said: “I try to lead by example and to keep the boys’ heads up — keep fighting for the win even though it can get pretty rough — but that’s part of the game. I try to score to show them that we all can.”
The Young and the Useless have unearthed a rare gem in Oscar Ruston. He is a strong athlete, and his six points in their win in Week 9 are, odds-on, a mere glimpse of what the big left-hander can and will do. He made a lay-up not dissimilar to Tana Ward’s match-winning effort in the first game.
The Coast’s Drae Calles made two three-point plays and a three-pointer in his 24-point haul; his timing on two huge defensive plays — from behind the shooter — was incredible. In the first quarter, he pinned Carew Fearnley’s shot to the backboard and did the same thing against Daley Riri in the second quarter.
The YAU led 14-13, the halftime score was 20-all, the three-quartertime score was 28-26 to the YAU.
But it was Pishief’s dominance at close quarters that decided the late game last night.
“The boys played well, considering we had no subs — rookies Jak Rowe, Rawiri Kerekere and Preston Te Kani, stepped up to the plate,” Coast captain Calles said.
“They dictated the pace of the game and Stefan overpowered our big men.”
Paikea are something else this season.
Their 37-25 win against Ngati Porou in Week 9 of the women’s club competition was superb. Amoe Tarsau set the tone with an astonishing right-hand lay-up — around Bronya McMenamin — to the right of the hoop.
Paikea led Ngati Porou 12-1, 20-11, 28-16. In reference to the first quarter, Ngati Porou — until last year, perennial champions — have never been held scoreless in a period. Before halftime, Paikea’s Natalie Mackey found Jordyn Tihore with a bounce-pass through traffic to score on the break.
But Ngati Porou never conceded. Bronya McMenamin made two stand-and-applaud saves in the fourth quarter, haring back over halfway to steal the outlet pass.
Ngati Porou lost to the Rebels in Week 8 and their last win — 62-45 — was against a Gisborne Girls’ High School team who defaulted to Lytton High School on Tuesday.
The Rebels have reason to be chuffed.
They beat Revolution Fitness New Zealand 59-49 with their Kaipo Olsen-Baker (24pts) leading all scorers. She is incredibly strong and has the ability to make difficult shots, including the shotgun — double-barrelled/two-handed — lay-up once favoured by Frank Russell and Jim Reid of a bygone era.
Olsen-Baker’s teammate Kaden Moeke (10) also, quite remarkably, made two three-point plays to open the Rebels’ account in the second period: they led 14-7, 34-18, 42-32 throughout the game.
Alyse Stewart (12), Renee Stewart (10) and Courtney Stubbins (8) led what is always a balanced score-sheet for RFNZ. They have quickness, crisp ball-movement and activity, and generally shoot the ball from 10 to 12 feet, as opposed to long jump shots.
Don’t reach into the ball-carrier’s body cylinder.
That should be emblazoned on the walls of the YMCA. While excessive use of the elbows is illegal, pivoting in one’s own body cylinder has always been within the rules of the game — a lesson that can only be learned by some at the sharp end.
Campion were too quick and too skilful for Uawa, winning the Week 9 clash 55-28, albeit with the odd unfortunate bump.
Campion captain Petra Sparks led the College’s scorers with 12pts, while Anna Spring, Lauren Bennett and Brooke Bennett each scored eight points.
For Uawa, Justine Pivac-Solomon scored 24pts, including all of her team’s points in the second half. Uawa led 10-6 at quartertime with Uawa 24-17 in front at the break and 41-23 up heading into the fourth period.
Tenacious guard Spring gave a marvellous bounce-pass to Brooke Bennett for a lay-up in the first quarter and Campion old girl Lara Gillies marked her return in the College’s colours with three field goals.
Week 10 of both the men’s and women’s leagues on Monday and Tuesday has been postponed until September 8 and 9 due to the absence of the school teams during tournament week.