Spectators on their feet applauding action

TRIDENT WINNERS: Gisborne junior basketball is under way, and the season got off to a good start with the Gisborne Boys’ High School Junior Premiers’ success in the Trident Junior Invitational Basketball Tournament in Whakatane this week. They are (from left): Jack-John Maurirere, Devin Waititi-Leach, James McKay, Te Kani Takirau Wirepa-Hei (captain), Felix Sparks, Clinton Tarei and Ziya Swann. Picture by Nina Tarei

For the second week straight, Wednesday night basketball had 100 fans on their feet every quarter.

In Division 1 of the boys' secondary schools league at the John McFarlane Memorial Sports Centre, the Robert Fysh-led Campion College seniors beat a gutsy Gisborne Boys' High School Crimson crew 71-44, GBHS Senior Carbon under Sebastian Wilson beat the GBHS Junior Premiers 67-63 and Sean Molloy's GBHS Senior B team beat GBHS Senior Diesel 56-28.

Crimson's Adrian Peachey is an excellent fit with them as a coach.

“We have a young team, many of whom are new to the game and still learning the basics,” Peachey said. “The boys did well against experienced opposition, and they never gave up.”

Referees Felix Sparks and William Collier did a very good job in Game 1. Sparks, as trail official, made the first foul-call of Week 2 for a block on Talmage Burgess by Kelly-Morehu Paenga-Rangihuna. Collier, as lead official, got Ollie Tong for a foul (hands) on Fysh. Sparks and Collier were impartial, quick and decisive.

Crimson's Paenga-Rangihuna (13 points) kick-started the evening with a remarkable wide lay-up to the right of the backboard, on his way out of court.

Fysh — who, like teammate Max Vanderbilt, scored 21 points — got his outfit going with a tough drive down the middle of the floor. The Campion skipper later gave a perfect hook-pass to fellow left-hander Josiah Smith (13pts), who cut from the right corner past the hoop, caught the ball and then made a reverse lay-up for 20-10.

Campion's James Searle also has a bright future in the game. In the second period, he had his first shot-attempt blocked by another tall forward, Crimson's Jay Gordon. Shortly after he gave the slashing Vanderbilt a superb bounce-pass, the assist of the night for 28-12.

In the third quarter, Paenga-Rangihuna hit two three-pointers — the first of which was a 20-footer — and in the fourth period, Dougie Wilcox-Taylor's lob-pass to Braedyn Smith was an assist to rival those given by Fysh and Searle in the first half. Braedyn Smith, slashing from the left to the hoop, finished a difficult play with great touch.

Campion head coach Shane McClutchie can see a clear path ahead for his emerging talent.

“We have a busy year ahead,” he said.

“Our boys require direction and a bit of work. That said, they possess good skills. I know they'll click at some stage.”

Sebastian Wilson saved the day for GBHS Senior Carbon.

The Carbon captain, who put up 19 points against GBHS Senior Diesel on opening night, scored a league-high 31 points in Week 2 — including an epic dunk-shot — in his team's 67-63 boilover against the GBHS Junior Premiers.

Ngaru Grayson (17pts) and Will Collier (6pts) supported Wilson against the Adrian Sparks-coached Junior Prems. Kahurangi Leach-Waihi and Devin Waititi-Leach, with 21 and 12 points respectively, were impressive and played with tremendous confidence for the younger team, while Jack John Maurirere made the slickest of finishes against Collier, circumnavigating the 6ft 4in forward at the end of the first period.

Five seconds before three-quartertime, Wilson drove in for a finger-roll and 49-45, then racked up 14 of Carbon's 17 points down the home stretch. The dunk-shot, with eyes at rim-height, was executed with both knees raised to the hips as a safety measure, which the officials in their wisdom recognised.

Sparks said: “Our boys played like giants, as tenaciously as a bull terrier, and as quickly as a black-necked spitting cobra. It is a style of play that we're continuing to refine.”