And following a 29-minute discussion as to player eligibility and how six will go into four ahead of the Week 7 semifinals, Ngati Porou won their “friendly” with Team 2022 45-31.
Defending champions Ngati Porou were without regular captain Bronya McMenamin but Jayda Waititi-Leach led all scorers with 16 points.
Waititi-Leach’s teammates Tiara Weir (9pts) and Maia Rickard (8) were solid.
Team 2022 made some spectacular plays. Their centre, Jett Pohatu, hit an eight-foot jumpshot on the turn, left-side, for 10-6 to the underdogs in the first period. Maiangi Mackey hit another classic jumper before the break and Amoe Wharehinga made a superb reverse lay-up to draw her outfit within four points as Ngati Porou led 37-33.
Sticking with Ngati Porou — the most successful crew in the history of the women’s game here — is hard. In terms of matching their three-point shooting, only Lytton High School, under then-skipper and sharpshooter Waititi-Leach, ever did that consistently.
She continues to do so, with three of her outfit’s four treys to her credit last night.
There’s always time to smile in the GBA — about as natural a thing as the tip having to be done twice, because a player was out of uniform.
That, by a Horouta veteran before the game against Uawa Tuakana Teina, did not escape the eagle eye of lead official Adrian Sparks.
Horouta captain Shinae Terekia (8pts), teammate Tamara Te Hau-Hedge (6), Amoe Wharehinga and Jayda Waititi-Leach in the late game, all made incredible lay-ups: either they were deep, wide, or tight to the backboard. Only those players’ experience, balance and skills saved the shot.
But Horouta’s Jasmine Sparks, 17, made one field goal to beat all. From the right sideline, she launched a 50-footer on the horn at the end of the first period to increase Te Waka’s lead to 12-6
Uawa didn’t allow Horouta many lay-ups: Sparks found that out when, with the Tolaga Bay-based unit up 6-0, Tapuhi Tuapawa stopped her in her tracks on the right baseline.
Against such opposition, great skill comes in handy, such as Sparks’s score off a wicked assist from Tyler Riri, a bullet-pass from the perimeter to a player cutting hard to the rim, for 28-20.
Zenda Moeke (5pts) of Uawa impressed with her tenacity on the offensive boards, scoring off a put-back right side on the third attempt; Tania Adamson led Uawa’s scorers with 14 points, finished a tough shot with class, left side of the basket.
Uawa Tuakana Teina have potential in spades and while Te Waka were 16 points better on Monday night, if this group sticks together, going forward they will be more than competitive.
Matariki also advance to the semifinals after Uawa Hard defaulted.
Horouta 53 (Ngarita Ehau-Taumanu 12, Jasmine Sparks 9, Shinae Terekia 8, Jessie Collier 8) Uawa Tuakana Teina 37 (Tania Adamson 14, Kamaana Toroa 12). Q1 Horouta 12-6, HT 21-17, Q3 35-29.
Competition match, non-quarter-final: Ngati Porou 45 (Jayda Waititi-Leach 16, Tiara Weir 9, Maia Rickard 8) Team 2022 31 (Maiangi Mackey 15, Jett Pohatu 7).
