Under-15 rep girls ready for tourney

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Here they come.

The Dwayne Tamatea-coached Gisborne Basketball Association girls’ under-15 representative team members are ready for their national tournament in Tauranga.

“There’s great unity in this team, our only GBA team to qualify for a national tournament this year,” head coach Tamatea said.

“They’re good in transition and have the skills. They lack game-experience but make up for that in fight, toughness. They play for each other.”

Gisborne’s Pool B campaign begins with a Round 1 game against Harbour at ASB Arena at 11.30am on Wednesday.

At 4.45pm that day they play Waikato.

In Round 2 on Thursday, Gisborne take on Waitakere West at 9.45am and Rotorua A at 6.30pm.

Gisborne were placed third in the Central Zone qualifiers. The national tournament features four pools of five teams.

After four games in round-robin play, the first and second qualifiers in each pool will play quarterfinals, semifinals and a final.

Third and fourth qualifiers in each pool will also play quarterfinals, semifinals and a final to find the ninth to 16th-ranked teams.

The fifth-placed teams in each pool will play round-robin games to determine the rankings from 17 to 20.

GBA girls u15s: Alexander Campbell-Ratapu, Ishtar Mackey-Huriwai, Jahzaea Te Awa, Jamieson Tapsell, Jasmine Sparks, Lily Hawea, O’Shea Rangihaeata, Paige Tamatea, Piper Donaldson (captain), Shean Edwards, Te Amo Te Rauna-Lamont.