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If the 2010 Women’s Basketball Championship indeed proves to be the farewell tour for NZ Force Harbour Breeze veterans Noni Wharemate and Jody Cameron, they bowed out in fine style, spearheading their team’s title defence with a 71-66 win over Oceana Otago Goldrush.

Just don’t write them off yet.

Wharemate, who emerged as the competition’s dominant player this year, may still earn Tall Ferns selection for this week’s tour to Japan and if chosen, that may just extend her playing career a little longer.

On current form, she would bolt in, scoring 26 points (8/15 FG, 10/15 FT) to lead all scorers in the WBC final.

She and Cameron combined for Harbour’s first 13 points, and the latter was instrumental in a third-quarter run that put them 19 points clear and apparently cruising towards victory.

But when the home team closed to with four points in the closing minutes, Breeze coach Angela Perrott-Hunt simply put the ball back in Wharemate’s hands and let her loose.

“She was dominating anyway, but we switched her role with Jody’s and pushed her inside,” said Perrott-Hunt. “She can do it all … she just has that composure until pressure that comes with international experience.”

Wharemate accounted for 10 (6/10 FT) of Harbour’s final 11 points – Cameron had the other – as they drew away again.

“The difference this time was we usually have had to come from behind and work our way back into games against Otago,” observed Perrott-Hunt.

In fact, their loss to the Goldrush two days earlier showed Harbour needed to bring their best right from the start.

“This time, we knew everything would be against. There wasn’t much cheering whenever we scored or made a good defensive stop … we only had each other to rely on.

“In particular, we set ourselves some defensive targets and that helped us flow into offence.”

Cameron was more adamant this would be her last call, chipping in 14 points (4/5 FG, 6/10 FT) and nine rebounds.

“Jody says she can’t wait to burn her sneakers,” confirmed Perrott-Hunt.

Otago deserved credit for their rally, rattling off 10 unanswered points in the final period.

Their cause looked lost when forward Patrice McKenzie fouled off with six minutes left, but found an able replacement in American Casey Lockwood, who had played sparingly throughout the tournament due to injury.

She and guard Suzie Bates each had 15 points, with Bates adding nine rebounds.

Earlier in the day, the home team were actually the more convincing in their semifinal efforts, defeating a short-handed NZ Force Academy outfit 68-52. The academy actually led 31-28 at halftime, but when guard Suzie Bates struck from long distance to put Otago four points up midway through the third quarter, she triggered a 17-0 run that carried her team clear.

McKenzie had a double/double (14 points/13 rebounds) for the Rush, while Bates hit 3/4 3pt in her 13 points.

On the next court, the Breeze had their hands full with the wily Waikato Wizards. While the Wiz never actually led, they hung tough through the first half to trail by three at the break.

Harbour drew away after the restart, with Wharemate scoring 11 of her 24 points in this spell. But Waikato weren’t done and drew within a basket when Ashleigh Cargo connected from the arc with 1m 51s remaining.

They could not complete the comeback, though, and the Breeze hung on for the 54-47 result.

Women’s Basketball Championship

Edgar Centre, Dunedin
Saturday, August 21
9am
Semifinals
Oceania Goldrush 68 (Patrice McKenzie 14, Suzie Bates 13, Samara Gallaher 10) NZ Force Academy 52 (Stevie-Rose Theyers 12, Toni Edmondson 10, Emma Gillespie 10)
Q1 12-12
HT 28-31 (16-19)
Q3 58-38 (30-7)
FT 68-52 (10-14)

NZ Force Harbour Breeze 54 (Noni wharemate 24) Waikato Wizards 47 (Miriam Slatter 20)
Q1 16-10
HT 23-20 (7-10)
Q3 43-30 (20-10)
FT 54-47 (11-17)

11am
7th/8th
Hutt Valley Flyers 53 (Jessica Slade 17, Ava Filipo 12) NZ Force Cougars 38 (D Martin 10)
Q1 19-10
HT 31-14 (12-4)
Q3 39-29 (8-15)
FT 53-38 (14-9)

9th/10th
NZU17 73 (Jordyn Cederwall 21, Brooke Blair 16, Morgan Hunter 10) Canterbury Wildcats 35 (Jessie Bygate 10)
Q1 9-3
HT 30-12 (21-9)
Q3 51-23 (21-11)
FT 73-35 (22-12)

2pm
Plate Final (5th/6th)
Taranaki Trojans 63 (Jelena Vucinic 16, Georgina Richards 14, Josie Stockill 13) Palmerston North Storm 56 (Natalie Moore 17, R Craig 13, Jordan Hunter 10)
Q1 16-18
HT 33-30 (18-12)
Q3 46-38 (13-8)
FT 63-56 (17-18)

4pm
Championship Final
NZ Force Harbour Breeze 71 (Noni Wharemate 26, Karlene Kingi 15, Jody Cameron 14) Oceana Otago Goldrush 27 (Suzie Bates 15, Casey Lockwood 15, Samara Gallaher 12, Renee Johnson 12)
Q1 21-8
HT 36-27 (15-19)
Q3 54-39 (18-12)
FT 71-66 (17-27)

7.30pm
Prize Giving
Port Otago Lounge, The Edgar Centre