Basketball: Pawson not missing the oval ball

Coming through: Samuel Pawson drives against Wellington A. Photo / Duncan Brown

It was always going to be a tough choice for Samuel Pawson this year but he has no regrets after giving up Wakely Shield rugby for Hawke's Bay rep basketball.

"I'm enjoying it lots ... I'm still playing rep cricket in summer," said the Tamatea Intermediate pupil last night after his Bay A team remained undefeated during the Central Zone Under-13 tourney at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale.

However, the Saracens No8 player got a wake-up call yesterday in their match against Palmerston North before scraping home 55-52 after a comfortable 52-47 victory over Wellington A in the morning.

"They [Palmy] were beating us all the time but then we started to play with a lot more enthusiasm," Pawson said, adding coach Shane Brown whipped out his clipboard at halftime as they trailed by about 15 points and, between doodling, urged them to bring out their A game.

"With 30 seconds to go we were beating them by two but then they levelled but in the last few seconds we kept scoring."

The Bay A side play Taranaki at 9am today before facing undefeated Hutt Valley at 2.15pm.

The Bay girls' teams in both grades also kept their unblemished records intact yesterday.

The Kirstin Taylor-coached A side thumped Gisborne 73-59 in the morning before reloading against Hutt Valley for a don't-argue 75-35 result.

Former Lady Hawk Carly Hewitt (nee Glock), who coaches the B team, said point guards Melika Samia and Kahlia Te Awa were pivotal.

Bay A girls play Wellington A and undefeated Palmy North today.

Glock's B team beat Whanganui 54-33 but crushed a younger Gisborne 81-11.

"Whanganui players were bigger and more accurate shooters so our game plan was to defend, rebound and run them off their feet," she said after they trailed 17-7 in the first quarter.

Point guards Raedeen Blake and Maia Pomana-Young showed outstanding leadership.

The B team play Levin and Taranaki today.