TOURNAMENT WRAP: Captain Fantastic wings it for U-13s

BASKETBALL
An outstanding 32-point performance from captain Deena Puketapu-El-Shall saw the Hawke's Bay girls' begin the national under-13 championships with a 68-45 win over New Plymouth.
With her team in significant foul trouble, Puketapu-El-Shall took it upon herself to provide the match-winning performance in front of the home fans, says coach Pickett Harrison.
"She was fantastic and you couldn't ask for anything more in a captain," Harrison said last night.
"I think that we were, perhaps, a little over-keen defensively and it meant I had to sit most of my starters for the second and third quarters. Our girls were up at six o'clock this morning and our match didn't start until quarter-to-six this evening.
"So it was a long day for the girls. Hopefully, we will have settled into more of a groove now, although we've got a bit of an uphill struggle (today) with Nelson and Massey, who are much bigger than we are."
Meanwhile, a game-high 18 points from Jimi Harris helped Jason Williams' Hawke's Bay boys team to a 74-52 over North Harbour B.
HOCKEY Collier Trophy Girls National Tournament in Napier Pool A: Waiararapa 7 Marlborough 0; Waiararapa 4 Counties Manukau 0, Waikato 2 Waiararapa 0. Pool C: Hawke's Bay 0 Mid Canterbury 3; Hawke's Bay 1 Central Otago 0; Hawke's Bay 1 Thames Valley 2. Pool D: North Harbour 5 Eastern 2; Eastern 1 Otago 0.
Points - Pool A: Manawatu 9, Waiararapa 6, Waikato 6, Taranaki 4, Counties Manukau 1, Marlborough 0. Pool C: Auckland 9, Thames Valley 6, Mid Canterbury 4, Hawke's Bay 3, South Canterbury 3, Central Otago 1. Pool D: North Harbour 9, Wellington 7, Poverty Bay 4, Nelson 3, Eastern 3, Otago 0.
NETBALL It's big enough that Taradale High School are the first Hawke's Bay school to reach the national finals. But they've been drawn in the same pool as number one seeds, and defending champions Massey High School and number three seeds To Toa of Palmerston North.
The Kim Howard-coached team play both on day one of the championships in Blenheim today, where she hopes they'll acquit themselves well.
"It's huge for us just to be here, but the netball gods haven't smiled on us with the draw," said Howard. "Win or lose, I just want to know that the girls did it competing and enjoying the experience of playing the best in the country."
RUGBY
Tries from captain Heaven Spooner, openside Shaan Waru and right wing Shaylee Tipiwai were enough to see Hawke's Bay grab a 15-12 over Taranaki on day one of the Hurricanes region secondary schoolgirls' tournament in Gisborne.
With the atrocious conditions bridging the skill gap between the two teams, Hawke's Bay coach Jason Lambert said his team did well to hang on.
"We're Hawke's Bay players, running players, and these conditions don't suit us at all. So it became a real hard-fought game and we did well to get a win," he said.
"We've got Manawatu today and then Wellington on Thursday. Wellington are always a big side and the wet weather should suit them."