Mixed results for Muriwhenua

Mana Party leader Hone Harawira was among a small band of loyal supporters cheering on the two local Muriwhenua basketball teams in action at home in their respective competitions on Saturday afternoon, inside a Te Puna Ora gym festooned with the revolutionary flag of Cuba.

Despite starting the game with only four players, the Muriwhenua women easily accounted for Phoenix Takahiwai in the women's Triple T competition match, which provided the curtain raiser for the Jennian Homes Super 6 game between the Far North Thunder and the Raumanga Royals. While the Thunder began strongly, the visitors gradually gained the upper hand and went on to record a narrow win.

It's the second year for both Far North teams in Northland competition and both are struggling for numbers for various reasons, including players being away for the summer holidays, being involved elsewhere- like local girls Freda Riwai and Shania Tatana representing the New Zealand U17 team touring Australia this week - and also the usual politics where otherwise competent players are not making themselves available.

While this means the sport can still only be regarded as being of fledgling status locally, its profile is continuing to grow thanks to the efforts of passionate basketball stalwarts like Manuera and Karen Riwai, who are setting a solid base for the game to become more established in the province in the near future.

Meanwhile, the results from the two senior games played at Te Puna Ora in provincial basketball on Saturday were as follows.

Triple T womenMuriwhenua 76 Phoenix Takahiwai 38 (ht 55-29): Despite starting with only four players (of the five allowed to take the court), the Muriwhenua girls easily overcame the visitors in this Triple T Classic match played in the Te Puna Ora gym in Kaitaia.

In what turned into a virtual rout, the home side retained their place at the top of the standings, shared with arch rivals and fellow 2012/13 season finalists Whangaruru Tukaiaia. Still, it was obvious the Muriwhenua girls were suffering from the holiday blues in missing three of their best players, including Paulette Lewis on holiday in Chile.

Standouts again were Te Irirangi Tawhara at point guard (basketball's version of a midfield general/ playmaker), Tyler Stevenson potting three-pointers and providing midfield back-up, and the tall wood of Creole Wallace and Lisa Tamarua solid under the hoop on attack and defence.

Spokesperson on the day, Tawhara noted it was tough going for the first half of the match, before Mikaela Riwai came in to boost the side to bare minimum numbers. However, she was possibly being gracious to an opposition who arrived with seven players.

Tawhara was confident Muriwhenua would have enough firepower to keep on winning ways, especially once other players returned to the fold. "Just taking it game by game."

Results from other's women's game played on Saturday saw Portland beat the Bucks, while Whangaruru had the bye.

Super 6 menFar North Thunder 71 Raumanga Royals 72 (ht 26-34): Far North Thunder still looking for their first proper win in the Super 6 Northland men's basketball competition after falling just short in this match at Te Puna Ora on Saturday.

The Thunder - who do have points on the board from a default earlier in the season - began well enough against the bare minimum of the five Royals players who fronted, and were leading at halftime. Experience soon told however, as the Royals gradually gained the upper hand and took the lead then, with only four players finishing the match, defended resolutely in the face of Thunder offensives

Notable for the home side were Arahi O'Donnell who was all over the court to pick up the slack, and PC Christensen nailing the three-pointers.

The outcome was a bitter pill to swallow for the Thunder's extremely competitive player coach Pocko Still, aware this was a result which should have gone the other way.

"I don't know what happened, came down to inexperience again," he sighed, admitting he struggled with his disappointment afterwards.

"I was probably a little too hot headed," he admitted the next day, and praising the players who fronted: "Without them, we don't have a team."

Noting the Thunder was virtually a Far North rep side in featuring players from Kaitaia to Kerikeri, although this spread also meant training together was difficult, Still again issued a call to arms to other talented local players.

In other Super 6 results, Maunu Lights beat Portland Blazers in what was regarded as the upset of the round; while the Bloodlines Whangaruru vs City Hawks match had to go into overtime before Whangaruru emerged victorious.

This weekend, being the second 'week' of round 2, the two Muriwhenua teams travel to play their respective Whangaruru counterparts at Kensington Stadium, with the women at 2pm, and the Thunder men at 4pm. The sides won't be playing at home again until February 8.