Basketball New Zealand

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Murray Hills, Taranaki Daily News
A win and a loss, but Taranaki basketball coach Angelo Hill wasn’t too worried about the results.

Rather, he was just pleased his team had managed game time against the Bay Hawks in pre-season friendly matches in Gisborne at the weekend.

For the record, the Hawks won the first game by 18 points, with Taranaki taking the second by 17 points.

“We didn’t play with a lot of intensity in the first game. We made a lot of mistakes against a side that was missing several of its top players,” Hill said.

“We’d been spending too much time in the lead-up working on our offence rather than our defence. We didn’t play with the intensity that’s required at this level.”

Hill said the third quarter of the first game was “bad”.

“We didn’t play as a team. I made a lot of bad decisions as a coach. My subbing was not right, leaving Jack [import Jack Leasure] on the floor too long … just little things.”

Hill said the second game on Sunday was much better.

“We watched a film of Saturday’s game and the guys could see themselves and what they were doing. We made some defensive rules and they could see just what the Hawks were doing.”

Hill said Leasure topscored in the second game with 32 points.

“He can shoot the ball extremely well. He’s smart on court and has a quick release. He looks very good.”

Hill said second import DeMarshay Johnson had some work to do.

“He’s not at the level of fitness he needs to be and he knows that. He’s an athletic type player and was up against a big man. He needs to get stronger.”

But overall, Hill was happy with the weekend.

“So we won one and lost one, it doesn’t matter. For us, it was a great weekend in that we were able to bond as a team.”

Hill said his bench players all had a good workout against the Gisborne Sun second division side.

“We lost by two, but it was good for the guys. They all got to play a lot of minutes and had a taste of top-level basketball.”

Court time chance lures Wellingtonian to Taranaki

Basketball runs through the veins of Jordan Mills.

He has played the sport all his life – hardly surprising with his dad Nick the owner of the Wellington Saints National Basketball League side.

“I was with the Saints last year, but didn’t get a whole lot of game time,” said the 20-year-old shooting guard.

“I was coming off the bench, about 10th man. That’s why I came up here.”

Mills said Taranaki coach Angelo Hill had seen him play and offered him a contract this year.

“Angelo said he liked what he saw and I see it as an opportunity to play more,” Mills said. “I enjoy Angelo’s style of coaching, it suits my play. Everyone is fit and keen to play and we’re all excited about the season.”

Mills said the move from Wellington to Opunake had been easy.

“I love it up here. I’m staying down the coast in Opunake with Jack and DeMarshay [the team's two imports – Jack Leasure and DeMarshay Johnson]. Jack’s wife Kelly arrived about a week ago. It’s great.”

Apart from the warmer weather, Mills said he had strong connections with Taranaki.

“My grandfather, Cliff Mills, played rugby for Taranaki … in the 60s I think, and my dad went to New Plymouth Boys’ High School.”

Mills, who went to Wellington Boys’ College, won national titles with Porirua – the under-19 side in 2007 and the under-21 team in 2008. He also won a national second division title with the Wellington Saints in 2008.

Last year, Mills was in the New Zealand under-20 side that competed in the Oceania championships in Saipan where the side lost to Australia in the semifinals.

He gets another chance this weekend to impress Hill when Taranaki plays the Hawks in Wellington on Friday and the Saints on Saturday.