Tofilau the hero as Psalms win Gisborne open club basketball clash in overtime

Psalms and Waengapu Stallions fought out a thriller in Gisborne Basketball Association's men's open grade ... Psalms winning 40-38 in golden point overtime.

Tamati Tofilau, take a bow.

Although almost ridden down by the Waengapu Stallions defence, guard Tofilau’s shot - 23 seconds into the first contest of the Gisborne Basketball Association club season to go into golden point overtime - gave the Psalms a 40-38 win.

That one-handed “floater” launched four metres from the hoop decided the late game at Ilminster Intermediate School to complete an action-packed Friday night in the GBA men’s open grade.

Psalms’ Josefo Avau Muliaga and Wayne Bartram, whose Raiders OG crew beat the Hustlers 49-28, both put up 20 points in week 2 of the competition, but it was ETB Whānau’s Shae Abbott-Raggett who led all scorers with a 35 point-haul.

Stallions’ Mason Nepe again played strongly. He and teammate Henry-Troy Kepa bore their posse’s entire offensive burden in the first period of a game Psalms led throughout.

Taylor Major put up 17 for Waikohu against the Setting Suns, but the influence of Suns legend Reggie Namana at both ends proved to be a decisive factor.

Namana, supported by ever-more consistent youngsters Luca Tong and Tawera Ehau, led their three scorers with double figures in a 48-40 win.

The three-times defending champions lost captain Matt Tong (right ankle) to injury the previous week, and often-unsung hero, the hard-working forward, Sean Hovell (left knee) early. Their character and resiliency are being tested.

Raiders OG (89 for, 28 against) lead the 10-team competition on points differential. Raiders, Campion College Cougars, Psalms and Suns have recorded two wins.

The Whanau’s 69-29 win over Cold Heartz gave them their first taste of victory two weeks into the season.

Ezra Graham, a capable athlete, played with confidence for The Whānau against a Cold Heartz team who can run, have flair and should - like Waikohu - find their feet as a unit during this campaign.

Campion College Cougars beat Astros 40-30, but not before the latter’s Qkylau Leach went by the Cougars’ towering Felix Cowie to score in spectacular style.

Astros’ Taimanaaki Gear proved he could finish under pressure to punish their opponents for their turnovers.