This Year, Like Last Year
Tagged in: Tournaments
Its déjà vu all over again for the girls title in Palmerston North.
Church College and Rangitoto College will meet again for the girls championship on Finals Day at the 2008 AA Secondary Schools National Championships – presented by Furnware – at Arena Manawatu.
Church College let New Plymouth Girls High hang around for two quarters before edging away in the second half, winning 72-47, while Rangitoto College turned it on in the fourth quarter, outscoring Waimea College 27-7 to turn a close game into a blow-out, moving into their second straight final, 76-56.
Both teams have motored through pool play, the quarters and semis, going a perfect 7-0 to set up Saturday’s showdown.
Church coach Tyler Wilkinson said last year’s final, won by Church 79-55, came down to defensive pressure, hustle, fitness and desire, and that today’s final would be no different.
“We definitely have to box out because they’re taller than us,” Wilkinson said. “The height advantage we give away is quite significant. If we can do that . . . but it’s something we haven’t really done well this whole tournament.
“We’ve got to play smart, don’t change our game plan. We want to keep running the ball at them, getting our inside-outside game going.”
Fijian international Letava Whippy, last year’s MVP, burnt New Plymouth Girls with 25 points, including 11 in the second quarter when Church extended their lead to 14 points at halftime. Silika Patuwai had 13 points.
At the other end, Church’s defence was locking down on New Plymouth’s leading scorers Zoe Kengsington and Bella McCullum, who combined for just 17 points.
“Letava led the way again but it was just about shutting down their scorers. I don’t think Bella hit any threes in the game and we shot down Zoe’s scoring chances as well,” Wilkinson said.
“We didn’t play well. I wasn’t happy with my girls at all. We just didn’t get into our rhythm. It was stop-start game and they were kind of distracted by the boys semifinal (Church vs Fraser) on the other court. Every time a cheer went up they were looking over.”
With scores level at 49-49 after three quarters, Rangitoto produced some of their best basketball of the tournament at both ends of the floor in the the fourth period to run away from a gallant Waimea College.
Brooke Blair, a Year Nine newcomer, scored nine of her 15 points in the fourth quarter as Rangitoto created a gap immediately after the quarter break and their defensive pressure quickly put Waimea out of the game. Centre Milika Nathan scored a game-high 19 points, 15 of those coming in the second and third quarters.
“It’s still not our best but it’s more like what they’ve done all year,” Rangitoto coach Lana Kershaw said.
“The girls decided that they were going to play together. We all wear the NZ Breakers “Team Is Everything’ bands and finally they believed it.”
Rangitoto, who returned the bulk of their squad this year, went into the 2007 final as slight favourites but were outplayed by a Church team playing high on emotion.
“It will be a good challenge for our girls. That’s what every school wants to have, a tradition like Church College. We want to play the best of the best and if that’s who we have to play, then that’s good.
“We’re two different teams, we’ve got bigs and they’ve got speed. If we put both teams together I think we’d pretty much be the perfect team.
“I’ve told them all year that it’s a new year and that nothing from last year counts. We’ve settled a lot from last year and improved so I think it’s totally different. And we’ve had the support from last year’s coaches aswell.”
