Green Up deserve a great deal of credit. They were brave and skilful, attacking the ring. Wilson beat the opposition off the dribble and gave assists to teammates who benefited from his ability to penetrate.
Both teams sprinkled magic in Game 1, as with slick guard Tuwairua-Brown’s three-point play early on, or when Wilson found Noble slashing to the hoop for GBHS 14, Green Up 20. The dynamic Noble later made a three-point play to close it to 56-35 but none begrudged Green Up their win.
Tuwairua-Brown felt his team came out firing but slackened off in the second half. That could certainly not be said of the Scott Muncaster-led City Lights, who thumped the defending premier grade champions SE Systems 70-49 in Game 2.
Muncaster (23), Keenan Ruru-Poharama (20) and Carl Riini (11) combined to knock down 14 three-pointers, Muncaster striking gold from the perimeter seven times. Those seven treys made life more than hard for SES, who sank just four in total.
City Lights led 19-14, 46-18, 58-29.
Only big man Rongomai Smith (19) and Reg Namana (15) made a strong impression at the offensive end for SE, where Smith waged war with CL centre Ryan Walters in the low-post.
Smith is aggressive; Walters never takes a backward step.
Ruru-Poharama (five treys) and Joseph Te Maari both played strongly. Te Maari’s footwork in the lane —to wheel and score — was a revelation. Ruru-Poharama is a solid guard and ball-handler, one good enough to put up 20 and facilitate.
For SES, as had been the case earlier for GBHS, dangerous jumpshooters were too often left unguarded.
Systems captain Adrian Sparks said Game 2, Week 2 was a horror best forgotten.
By comparison, CL’s Muncaster could scarcely conceal his delight: “We did everything: shot the lights out, got to the hoop, our ball movement was effortless and unselfish. We were all on the same page defensively, boxing out and playing good defence without fouls. It was just great team basketball.”
Muncaster’s take makes a refreshing change from the head-bowed humility of most New Zealand team sports captains. That said, Raiders skipper Willie Brown hit the right note: “The Massive Marauders played well — we did just enough to get over the line. We can play better than that, so we’ll leave it behind us.”
Brown’s Raiders beat the Marauders under Stefan Pishief 46-44, with both veteran teams muscling up in the half-court set.
Simon Wilson (10) led the Marauders scorers and he is a guard that followers of club basketball can be assured will be more effective by the week. He has composure and can hold the ball where, in the heat of the moment, some in the league turn it over.
Brown (19) and Dom Wilson (9) found some rhythm at times, but the MMs are big men and circumnavigating them is not always easy. The expectation of contact or need to adjust up can have the effect, even on good players, of affecting their rhythm.
Wilson made one phenomenal drive-move in traffic to score at 4-4 but with his team 26-21 up and the lane open, shot the one-handed leaner — an airball missing everything; which is most unlike Wilson.
Pishief and his teammate Adam Harford both scored six points, and while the Raiders led 15-7 and 26-21 to halftime, the balance of power was 33-33 at three-quartertime. At that stage, it was anyone’s game.
The GBA referees did a fine job in the premier grade games with regard to accuracy, consistency and communication without nit-picking.
