Basketball New Zealand

Casey Lockwood (Southern Exposures)

The Oceana Otago Goldrush have three factors in their favour as they seek to accomplish the improbable – topple the NZ Force Harbour Breeze from their women’s basketball pedestal.

These two rivals met for the Women’s Basketball Championship title 12 months ago and have squared off again for maximum points in each of this year’s preliminary rounds.

Coach Brent Matehaere is yet to taste success and knows the stars will have to align for that to change.

The three aces he holds are, in no particular order …

• Tall Ferns guard Suzie Bates returned from international duty with the NZ women’s cricket team midway through the last round at Waitakere. She had stepped straight off the plane from England and hadn’t touched a basketball in weeks … you have to expect she will be in better form this time.

“She has had a bit of international travel since then, so she’s been a busy girl,” says Matehaere. “But she’s a smart player and she’s been to enough trainings to know what she’s doing.

“Last round, in the final, she was getting lost and other players were getting lost around her, but I think that’s been rectified.”

• American Casey Lockwood starred for Southland at last year’s NZ Open Championships, and announced her intention of gaining NZ citizenship and one day playing for the Ferns. That ambition will take another step forward when she joins the Rush for WBC finals weekend.

“Having Casey completely fit would have been a fantastic thing, but she has been carrying a knee injury. She thinks she’s about 65%, but if we can get her to 70-80% by Saturday, she’ll be pretty darn good.”

• Otago will enjoy home court advantage at the Edgar Centre. The hardy southerners are used to cold … it doesn’t snow on the North Shore.

“The event has had a high profile down here and people are talking about us,” says Matehaere. “We just have to put ourselves in a position to make the semifinals and take it from there.”

But before any of that can help, he must find a way to neutralize the player who has torn his team apart each time they have faced their rivals – “veteran” guard Noni Wharemate.

“She is really tough to shut down,” says Matehaere. “She just creates so much for them.”

Matehaere tried to share that responsibility around last time, while Amanda Harris did an admirable job of guarding Bates for Harbour. The prospect of these two premier players – Wharemate v Bates – simply going at it is a tantalising one.

Harbour and Otago have a chance to sound each other out on Thursday morning, then must overcome Taranaki Trojans, Waikato Wizards and the NZ Force Academy to do it all over again in the final on Sunday.

Women’s Basketball Championship

Edgar Centre, Dunedin

Section A – Championship
Waikato Wizards
NZ Force Harbour Breeze
Oceana Goldrush
NZ Force Academy
Taranaki Trojans

Section B – Plate
Palmerston North Storm
Hutt Valley Flyers
NZ Force Cougars
NZ U17
Canterbury Wildcats

Thursday, August 19
9am
NZ Force Academy v Waikato Wizards
Palmerston North Storm v NZ U17

11am
NZ Force Harbour Breeze v Oceana Goldrush
Hutt Valley Flyers v Canterbury Wildcats

2pm
Waikato Wizards v Taranaki Trojans
NZ Force Cougars v NZ U17

5pm
NZ Force Harbour Breeze v NZ Force Academy
Palmerston North Storm v Hutt Valley Flyers

7pm
Taranaki Trojans v Oceana Goldrush
Canterbury Wildcats v NZ Force Cougars

Friday, August 20
9am
Taranaki Trojans v NZ Force Academy
Hutt Valley Flyers v NZ Force Cougars

11am
Waikato Wizards v Oeana Goldrush
NZ U17 v Canterbury Wildcats

2pm
NZ Force Harbour Breeze v Taranaki Trojans
NZ Force Cougars v Palmerston North Storm

5pm
Oceana Goldrush v NZ Force Academy
Hutt Valley Flyers v NZ U17

7pm
NZ Force Harbour Breeze v Waikato Wizards
Palmerston North Storm v Canterbury Wildcats

Saturday, August 21
9am
A1 v A4 (SF 1)
A2 v A3 (SF 2)

11am
B2 v B3 (7th/8th)
Canterbury Wildcats v NZU17 (9th/10th)

2pm
A5v B1 (Plate Final, 5th/6th)

4pm
Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2 (Championship Final)

7.30pm
Prize Giving
Port Otago Lounge, The Edgar Centre