Tough tournament for young basketballers

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The Mel Young Easter Classic basketball tournament in Tauranga drew 105 teams to Mercury Bay Park and the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, like bees to honey.

Gisborne Basketball Association sent eight teams. They worked hard to win games but, as Basketball Pacific chairman and general manager of Tauranga City Basketball Mark Rogers explained, it was top-flight competition over the long weekend.

“We had 1100 players, close to 100 referees here — excellent numbers, considering that Hawke’s Bay is still in recovery mode.

“Four teams in the Australian Country Cup are already locked in for 2025, with the Melbourne Tigers also a chance for next year,” said Rogers, whose TCB staff went flat-tack during one of New Zealand’s biggest basketball tourneys.

“The message about positive behaviour is sinking in. Referees and players enjoyed the game more as a result. We’re keen and confident going forward.”

The Gisborne boys under-12 team in the A grade lost a playoff for 5th and 6th v Waikato Red 46-48. The Gisborne u12 girls’ team lost their first four games before beating Hibiscus Coast 18-12 on Sunday night. The tenacious u12s signed off with a 19-28 loss to New Plymouth.

The Gisborne team in the u14 girls’ A grade beat New Plymouth 44-26 and the Gisborne u14 boys’ lost the C grade final 44-73. The Gisborne team in the u16 boys A grade lost the 5th and 6th playoff 77-88 to Waikato Yellow.

Hibiscus Coast beat Gisborne in the u16 boys B grade final 77-67 and Rotorua Gold beat Gisborne 91-34 in their last game of the u18 girls grade.

The playoff for 7th and 8th in the u18 boys A grade between the Gisborne u18s and the Waikato u20s was not played.

Gisborne boys u16 development coach Lawrence Mulligan, whose team made a huge effort in the B grade final against Hibiscus Coast, paid tribute to his gutsy skipper:

“Shae Abbott-Raggett, a power forward, was our tournament captain. He suffered a tournament-ending high ankle sprain on the first possession of the quarterfinal, so our vice-captain Kingston Samuels was elevated to captain for the remainder of the tourney.

“We made rebounding our priority in the build-up. The boys showed tremendous resilience and persistence on the boards in every game.”

Gisborne results from the Easter Classic basketball tournament in Tauranga

DAY 1

Under 12 Boys A Grade, Pool B, Round 1: Gisborne A 34 Waikato Black 36.

U12 Girls Grade, R1: Gisborne 26 Waikato Red 20; R2: Gisborne 25 Tauranga 28.

U14 Boys A Grade, Pool A, R1: New Plymouth Blue 58 Gisborne 39.

U14 Boys C Grade, R1: Gisborne B 27 Tauranga Blue 55.

U16 Boys A Grade, Pool A, R1: Waikato Black 91 Gisborne A 81.

U16 Boys B Grade, Pool B, R1: Tauranga White 54 Gisborne B 91.

U18 Boys A Grade, Pool A, R1: Gisborne 48 Tauranga BT 111.

U18 Girls Grade, R1: Tauranga 92 Gisborne 41; R2: Hawke’s Bay 113 Gisborne 46.

DAY 2

U12 Boys A Grade, Pool B: Gisborne A 42 Tauranga B 33; Gisborne 65 New Plymouth Yellow 35.

U12 Girls Grade, R3: Gisborne 10 Waikato Black 68 .

U14 Boys A Grade, Pool A, R2: Waikato Black 76 Gisborne A 34; R3: Tauranga B 56 Gisborne A 37.

U14 Boys C Grade, R2: Gisborne B 60 Thames Valley White 40; R3: Hibiscus Coast White 30 Gisborne B 44.

U16 Boys’A Grade, Pool A, R2: Tauranga BM 84 Gisborne A 65; R3: Waikato Yellow 75 Gisborne A 91.

U16 Boys B Grade, Pool B, R2: New Plymouth Blue 63 Gisborne B 66; R3: Hibiscus Coast 67 Gisborne B 76.

U18 Boys A Grade, Pool A, R2: Gisborne 36 Rotorua Gold 87; R3: Waikato Black 88 Gisborne 62.

U18 Girls Grade, R3: Waikato u20 91 Gisborne 11.

DAY 3

U12 Boys A Grade, Quarterfinal 3: Gisborne A 29 New Plymouth Blue 38; U12 Boys’ A Grade, 5-8, Semifinal 2: Gisborne A 62 New Plymouth Yellow 35.

U12 Girls Grade, Rotorua 35 Gisborne 26; Hibiscus Coast 12 Gisborne 18.

U14 Boys A Grade Quarterfinal 3: Gisborne Boys’ u14 29 Tauranga A 84.

U14 Boys C Grade, R4: Gisborne B 46 Tauranga Gold 41; R5: Gisborne B 66 New Plymouth Red 27.

U16 Boys A Grade, Quarterfinal 4: Gisborne A 77 Rotorua Gold 83; U16 Boys’ A Grade, 5-8, Semifinal 1: Waikato Red 56 Gisborne A 82.

U16 Boys B Grade, Quarterfinal 3: Thames Valley South 23 Gisborne B 86; U16 Boys’ B Grade, Semifinal 2: Rotorua Maroon 61 Gisborne B 67.

U18 Boys A Grade, Quarterfinal 3: Gisborne 48 Tauranga VW 81; U18 Boys’ A Grade, 5-8, Semi-final 1: Waikato Red 74 Gisborne 49.

U18 Girls Grade, R5: Gisborne 71 Thames Valley 42; R6: Gisborne 29 Waikato 104.

DAY 4

U12 Boys A Grade, 5 v 6 Final: Gisborne A 46 Waikato Red 48.

U12 Girls Grade, Gisborne 19 New Plymouth 28.

U14 Girls A Grade, 3 v 4: Gisborne 44 New Plymouth 26.

U14 Boys C Grade 1 v 2: Tauranga Blue 73 Gisborne B 44.

U16 Boys A Grade, 5 v 6: Gisborne A 88 Waikato Yellow 77.

U16 Boys B Grade Final: Hibiscus Coast 77 Gisborne B 67.

The U18 Boys A Grade 7th-8th playoff between Waikato u20 and the Gisborne u18s was not played.

U18 Girls  Grade: Rotorua Gold 91 Gisborne 34.