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BASKETBALL
This sort of thing makes a coach’s hair go grey.
Gisborne Boys’ High School beat St Peter’s College of Cambridge 73-72 in their first game at the Schick Zone 2 basketball premierships yesterday morning, then lost to Hamilton’s Melville College by 37 points in the afternoon.
Melville won the Pool D match 88-51 at Unison Arena in Rotorua but GBHS head coach Dwayne Tamatea — who rated the thriller against St Peter’s as a “50 to 60 percent” effort — said: “They (Melville) played well, but we needed more energy and enthusiasm. We can play much better than that.”
Melville led 24-11, 50-27, 73-48 throughout, with Boys’ High centre Sam Veitch (13 points), captain Max Scott (12pts) and dynamo Jorge Tofilau (10pts) leading their scorers.
In Game 1, Tyrese Tuwairua-Brown (21pts), Veitch (17pts), Scott (13pts) and Khian Westrupp (10pts) — who scored the last GBHS basket in their one-point win — were in sync.
St Peter’s were ahead 13-8 at quartertime and 37-26 up at the break, but a superb effort in the third period from Tuwairua-Brown (three three-point shots in 13pts) helped Gisborne Boys’ take a 56-48 lead down the home stretch.
GBHS were to play Bethlehem College of Tauranga and Tokoroa High School today. Their last pool game is against Hauraki Plains College tomorrow, with playoffs and finals on Saturday.
There are no excuses. An injury-hit Gisborne Boys’ High School rugby team dug deep and finished sixth at the eight-team Colquhoun Under-14 Invitation Tournament at Palmerston North yesterday.
Rotorua beat GBHS 12-7 — the halftime score — with Rotorua first five-eighth and player of the day Liliano Sabatini converting the first of right wing Waisaki Salabiau’s two tries.
Gisborne blindside flanker and player of the day Geordie Sawyer scored a try, converted by captain and first-five Carlos Hihi to make the score 7-7.
Salabiau scored his second try right on halftime.
“Gisborne’s forwards were physical and they were fast out wide,” Rotorua captain and openside flanker Brooke Mitchell said.
“It was intense. They made us fight to hang on.”
GBHS had to be adaptable. No.8 Xavier Henare covered centre Xavier Tuapawa (injured left knee), Hihi covered for regular captain and fullback King Love (left hand), lock Hikurangi Reid and reserve hooker Wiremu Maxwell acted as cover for the right and left wings respectively.
“Boys had to learn to play different positions,” head coach Duane Hihi said.
“Forwards had to come into the backline as starters, with forward reserves moving into the starting line-up, but they had the resilience to be able to do that.”
It was a dream start. Yesterday Gisborne Boys’ High School under-15s began their Hurricanes rugby tournament with a 41-7 win against Porirua College.
GBHS first-five Anaru Paenga-Morgan converted the first two tries — those of centre Whetu King-Taufa and captain and No.8 Lochi Mead. Mead scored again for 19-0.
Porirua loosehead prop Jeshua Fretton then scored a try, converted by first-five Solomon Uelese.
Gisborne tighthead prop Kitini Taihuka’s try gave them a 24-7 lead at the break.
Right wing Mikaere Marino-Moore opened the second-half scoring for GBHS with a try, converted by Paenga-Morgan for 31-7, and openside flanker Jackson McDonald scored twice for 41-7.
“I think they will be one of the top teams in the comp; they’re well-drilled and physical,” Porirua coach Petaia Petaia said of the Wiremu Kaa-coached Gisborne Boys’ High side.
Gisborne captain Lochi Mead said his team were “switched on” yesterday: “We’re amped. We can’t wait to get back out there.”