Hutt Don’t Skip A Beat
Tagged in: Associations, Tournaments
You would never know the Hutt Valley have been missing two of their leading players at the BBNZ U19 National Championships.
The girls from The Hutt cruised through their two group games on day one to top pool A and after a morning to rest, showed Otago no mercy in the quarterfinals on Saturday, dominating the Southerners 89-37 at Nelson College for Girls.
And all that without national age-group players Awhina Karawana and Shiana-Rose Harris, both out with knee injuries.
Harris was ruled out days before the tournament after picking up an injury in practice, while Karawana was confined to the bench during the team’s first game in Nelson.
Against a tiring and injured Otago squad, Hutt Valley barely skipped a beat.
Led by Milomilo Nanai with 18 points, Hutt Valley had six players score in double figures as they led 24-5 after the first quarter and continued to run away. Jasmine Davis, Bayley Ross-Waitai, Tiana Thompson, Chanee Amato and Charlotte Yee all scored 10-plus.
“It’s the girls themselves, they’re just putting it together out there,” said Hutt Valley coach Brandon Karawana, who admitted his team had only practiced once together before the tournament.
“We’ve got seven or eight players that have represented New Zealand past or present, so they know how to play.
“A lot of these girls have known each other and played with each other since they were eight. There’s only a couple that haven’t come through the hoops clubs in the Hutt. That’s probably why they’re gelling so well and playing so well.”
Hutt Valley will face equally impressive and unbeaten New Plymouth in one women’s semifinal at 2.15pm on Sunday.
“We’ve got to play a lot smarter now, we’re only going with eight players now. We’ll probably end up with New Plymouth in the semifinals, they will be pretty tough,” Karawana said.
New Plymouth stormed into the final four with a 92-67 win over North Canterbury, behind 29 points from Bella McCallum and 25 points from Zoe Kensington.
Harbour out-lasted Canterbury 93-87 to advance, where they will meet Waitakere City, who ended hometown Nelson’s run in convincing fashion, 75-61, in the other semi at 4pm.
Natasha Hall, MVP at the BBNZ U21 National Championships three weeks ago, led Harbour with 30 points, canceling out a game-high 32 points from Canterbury’s Megan Shea.
Waitakere City’s win may have come at a cost, with leading scorers Chevannah Paalvast and Mesha Blair, who combined for 30 points, leaving the court with respective knee and shoulder injuries.
Otago’s men had Junior Tall Black Tom Rowe to thank for their 76-70 overtime win over hosts Nelson in the quarterfinals.
Rowe, who finished with 23 points, drained a three-point basket with two seconds remaining to send the game into overtime, then sunk another three as Otago out-scored Nelson 11-5 in the extra period.
Guard Ethan Carruthers, who had 18 points, also hit a big three in the final minute of regulation as Otago overcame a six-point deficit, moving onto the semifinals, where they will meet Waitakere City at 4pm.
Waitakere had too much Duane Bailey for Auckland in their quarterfinal, the big man dominating the inside and going for 32 points, in a comfortable 85-53 win.
Harbour held Wellington scoreless for the final two-and-a-half minutes and were able to make enough free-throws in the final minute to post an 86-78 win, moving on to play Canterbury at 2.15pm.
The Cantabs, who got 25 points from Ethan Rusbatch, stole the game with a 19-7 third period and managed to hold in during a nervy final quarter.
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The title defence remained alive for Harbour’s boys while it ended for Otago’s girls on day two of the BBNZ U17 National Championships in Palmerston North on Saturday.
Harbour A got 20 points from Isaac Fotu as they survived for an 84-76 quarterfinal win over Porirua, following on from a 104-55 pool play win against New Plymouth earlier in the day.
The win upped Harbour’s record to 4-0, which will be challenged by West Auckland in one of the boy’s semifinals at 4pm. West Auckland rolled Canterbury 83-58, behind 19 points from James Ashby.
Wellington and Nelson will meet in the other boy’s semi, after contrasting days on Saturday.
Wellington (4-0) have yet to be seriously challenged at the tournament, defeating Hawke’s Bay 76-56 in their quarterfinal, following a 73-36 romp over Canterbury to end pool play.
Meanwhile, Nelson needed overtime to overcome Porirua 84-80 in pool C and then held off Counties Manukau 51-49 in the last eight, getting 14 points from Michael Karena.
With defending champions Otago eliminating from title contention during pool play, it has left the girls championship wide open.
Harbour were the most impressive in their quarterfinal win, disposing of Counties Manukau 67-52 on the back of a game-high 20 points from Brooke Adams. Waiting for them in the semifinals will be Hawke’s Bay, who stayed unbeaten with a 55-49 win over Waikato.
Waitakere City were too strong for Nelson in their top-eight showdown, winning 80-70, with Moengaroa Subritzky top-scoring with 23 points. Waitakere will face a team from the opposite end of the country, Southland, who tipped over Wellington 50-48.
