Basketball New Zealand

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Tony Bird, Taranaki Daily News
The Harbour Breeze made the best possible start to their Women’s Basketball Championship with a come-from-behind victory in the final of the opening tournament in New Plymouth on Saturday.

The defending champions bagged a maximum 20 points from the first of three tournaments to decide the 2010 title winner.

Harbour Breeze went through unbeaten in five games, including a 70-64 win against Otago Goldrush in a hard-fought final.

The teams that met in last year’s final emerged top of their pools again.

The final was a game of two halves – Otago upstaging North Harbour and playing the smarter basketball in the first half, before Harbour clawed their way back into the game in the third quarter and finished strongly.

Late in the second quarter, Otago turned up the heat stretching their lead to 13 points with Harbour appearing rattled.

Whatever Harbour Breeze coach Angela Perrott-Hunt said to her team at halftime, it woke the team from their slumber.

After the restart, the tempo lifted, with both teams adopting a take-no-prisoners physical approach, forcing the referee to stop the game and talk to both captains.

Inside four minutes of the third spell, Harbour, hustling well and taking every opportunity to come their way, shot 11 points to two to level the scores 42-42.

Otago got back on track helped by shots from outside the arc by captain Patrice McKenzie and Bellla McCallum of New Plymouth.

Harbour led 57-55 heading into the final stretch.

Otago started the last 10 minutes well going out to a 64-61 lead with six minutes left and again looked on track to take the win.

But Harbour Breeze came back again, lifting in intensity to secure a six-point win.

After the game, Perrott-Hunt blamed complacency for her team’s lack lustre start.

“All respect to Otago, they came out and played hard. Typical South Island girls, they’re relentless and they really showed us up in that first half and we had to come out and do something about it.”

Perrott-Hunt is in her first year as head coach of the Harbour Breeze and expected her team to improve in the next two tournaments.

“It’s a really nice way to start, but, we’ve got a lot of things to work on.

“We’re getting there and I think with each tournament we’ll get stronger and stronger.”

Perrott-Hunt singled out former Tall Fern Noni Wharemate as Harbour’s player of the tournament.

“I think I’m right in saying she is a class above everyone one else all-round in the women’s tournament.
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“She’s just got such great vision, and is both physically and mentally strong.”

The Taranaki Trojans ended the New Plymouth tournament with a good win to finish third, comfortably beating Palmerston North Storm 66-49.

The next championship round will take place at Waitakere on July 22-24.