Basketball New Zealand

Warning: file_exists() [function.file-exists]: open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/var/www/vhosts/basketball.org.nz/httpdocs/resources/uploads/2007/06/antonia-edmondson-photosport-edit.thumbnail.jpg) is not within the allowed path(s): (/home/bbnz/:/tmp:/usr/local/lib/php/) in /home/bbnz/domains/tallblacks.org.nz/public_html/wp-includes/post.php on line 3943

Former Wildcat Toni Edmondson returns for a guest appearance (Photosport)

When the plug was pulled on the Womenís National Basketball Invitational tournament last week, the screams of horror emanating from Canterbury were understandable.

The province that won the last fully fledged national league title contested in 2005 had virtually sacrificed its chances in the conference-based WBL last month, dividing its talent among age group and club teams to help sustain a competitive southern playoff.

ìPutting one team together for the WNBI was to be the culmination of that,î says Gameface Canterbury Wildcats coach Craig Hickford. ìWe had put in a lot of preparation and commitment Ö but it was taken away from us.î

The four-team tournament died when two of the entries withdrew a week before the start, but the two remaining teams will forge ahead when Canterbury travel north to take on Curves Harbour Breeze in a two-game series for the WNBI trophy this weekend.

ìThese games are incredibly important for the 20 girls participating,î says Hickford. ìBoth teams have taken the initiative of bringing in outside players, so this is as close as you can get to a national trial … there arenít many players missing.î

Harbour are stacked with internationals, namely Noni Wharemate, Jody Tini, Natalie Purcell and Karlene Kingi, plus American guard Jenny Lingor.

Coach Brett Goebel has also added Waikato centre Jo Kailahi, Wellington forward Nola Wainohu and US-based point guard Amanda Harris to the line-up that ran away with the WBL final.

Canterbury are built around their national U21 and U19 champion rosters, but have also recruited Lisa Wallbutton, Jess McCormack and Chelsea Terei from Auckland, and Suzie Bates and Toni Edmondson from Otago.

The Aucklanders will be released to join their own team for an exhibition game against the Wildcats on Sunday.

The farflung nature of his team has not made preparations easy for Hickford, a former NBL guard who also sees this series as a chance to further his own coaching aspirations.

Certainly, with their starting line-up virtually set, Harbour will have chemistry on their side, while Hickford admits his best five have not had the benefit of practicing together.

ìWeíve only had nine of the 12 players together at once,î he says. ìWhen the tournament was cancelled, the Auckland girls decided it wasnít worth coming down, so we wonít see them until Friday morning.

ìIt will come down to what we are doing as coaches and weíll be running some pretty simple systems.

ìItís a huge challenge bringing all those different basketball cultures together. The mix has been quite interesting and the Canterbury players are all quite young, so it will be good experience for them to play with and against these internationals.î

Another interesting inclusion in the Wildcats team is centre Donna Lavea, who came up through the Canterbury age group system, but fell off the radar for a couple of seasons before taking up a junior college opportunity in the United States last year.

She will join Wildcats point guard Melissa Harrison at NAIA national champions Lambuth University this year, and this will be a chance to show her development against Tall Fern centres Kingi and, on Sunday, McCormack.

ìDonna has come a long way,î says Hickford. ìThe main change has been her attitude towards the game.

ìShe has only had one year of structured coaching in the States, but she has really improved her footwork and her reading of a game.

ìDonna probably needs another couple of yearsí work, but this will be an opportunity for her to measure herself against some quality ëbigsí.î

Friday, June 29

Curves Harbour Breeze v Gameface Canterbury Wildcats, AUT Northcote, 7pm

Saturday, June 30

Curves Harbour Breeze v Gameface Canterbury Wildcats, AUT Northcote, 8pm

Sunday, July 1

Auckland v Gameface Canterbury Wildcats TBC