Tough but rewarding day for Gisborne

BASKETBALL

Day 1 was both tough and enormously rewarding.

The Thomas Tindale-Adam Tapsell-coached Gisborne under-15 girls’ basketball team at the Aon National Tournament in Takanini, South Auckland, lost 65-50 to last year’s national champions and 57-49 to Taranaki.

That Gisborne were within 15 points of Wellington and eight points of Taranaki, who came eighth nationally, is highly commendable.

Shean Edwards led the way offensively in Game 1 with 14 points, Alexander Campbell-Ratapu (9pts) and skilful left-hander Ohomauri Hailey (7pts) also stumping up. Campbell-Ratapu (11pts), Edwards (9pts), Hailey (8pts) and Bobbi Crawford (8pts) were in even better touch against Taranaki last night; they play their last Pool A game against Northland on Court 1 today.

Campbell-Ratapu and her co-captain Jamieson Tapsell have been excellent value, and Tindale — who coached the u13s for four years before this season — described the standard of play at this tournament as “amazing”.

“There’s a lot of talent here,” Tindale said.

“We’ve got quick, feisty guards who forced turnovers against Wellington — we led by five points at quartertime — but both they and Taranaki were much bigger than us. They both had two players well over six feet tall.

We played well against Taranaki: our defence was solid and we forced a lot of missed shots. As the game went on, our lack of size and injuries to key players affected us.

“Against Northland today, we just need more options on offence, and to be more patient on offence while staying within the system.”

The Gisborne Basketball Association u15s won silver at last year’s Mel Young Easter Classic Tournament in Tauranga. They were placed fourth and the Gizzy Hoops Club second, of eight teams at last year’s HoopNation event, which was also held in Tauranga.

Former GBA chairman and Rising Suns head coach and captain Dwayne Tamatea, now coaching the Taranaki u15 boys, took his team to Pool A wins over Manawatu (74-51) and Otago (74-67) yesterday with his charges to face Counties-Manukau and Waikato today.

(Shean Edwards 14, Alexander Campbell-Ratapu 9, Ohomauri Hailey 7) (Tyrah Onesemo 17, Mykie Katene 10, Krystana May Leota 9) Q1 Gisborne 17-12, HT Wellington 31-24, Q3 53-32.

(Arna Bright 18, Charlotte Seddon 14, Jordi Sands 6, Sainimili Funaki-Belau 6) (Alexander Campbell-Ratapu 11, Shean Edwards 9, Ohomauri Hailey 8, Bobbi Crawford 8) Q1 Taranaki 20-14, HT 31-26, Q3 40-40.