Our Canterbury Metro U17 teams were also away last week at the BBNZ U17 Nationals. Both teams found it tough going with the boys finishing up 10^th and the girls 14^th in the now 20 team Nationals.

U17 National Basketball Championships North Shore  July 17-24^th

The Mainland Canterbury boys basketball team, led by Burnsides Shou Nisbett and Lincoln’s Sam Riley, recorded two wins and two losses in Pool play. Canterbury had a comfortable 76-53 over Taranaki on Wednesday but was edged out by Waikato 76-61. On Thursday the Boys were beaten by No 3 seed Tauranga 85-59 after earlier in the day thumping Ngati Porou 115-14. This relegated them to the 9-16 section. On Friday, Canterbury beat Tasman 86-62 in the 9-16 Quarterfinals while in the evening Canterbury hammered Auckland-Counties 105-33. This qualified them to play last year’s champion North Harbour in the Second Division final (9^th place) in the North Shore Events Centre on Saturday but after a brave attempt succumbed to Harbour 96-72.

Otago carried the South Island flag outpointing Auckland 81-74 in an over-time Grand Final thriller after they were tied 68-68 at normal time. Eventual Most Valuable Player RICHARD RODGER led the southerners with 22 points/14 rebounds and SAM TIMMINS also had a double double (14 points/16 points), along with five blocks. YUAT ALOK had 22 points/19 boards for the Aucklanders.

 

The Mainland Canterbury Girls recorded a mammoth 110 to 24 win over Hutt Valley then lost to Tauranga 47-56 followed by a heavy  beating by eventual Grand Final winner, Waitakere West 106-56. Canterbury lost to Palmerston North 76-47 in the quarters, then won its semi-final beating Auckland 90-44. In the 13^th place play-off the Canterbury Girls were well beaten by Tasman 71-52.

Waitakere West upset near neighbour, arch-rival and defending champion in the Girl’s Grand Final, repulsing a strong 17 point Harbour come back before winning 85-79.

 

The Canterbury Country Boys, made up of players from North, South and Mid Canterbury, improved on its low seeding  by recording two wins and two losses in Pool play, finishing third  and a 9-16^th Quarter-final on Friday against Auckland-Counties, only to be pipped 70-74. In pool play Canterbury Country was edged out by Palmerston North 66/64 in a close game, slipped past Counties Manukau 70-63 but well beaten by eventual Grand Final winner Otago A 89-61.

On Wednesday the Canterbury Country Girls were well beaten by the defending champion North Harbour A 85-43 in the first game of the tournament but put up a bold fight before going down to Palmerston North 53-41. On Thursday it very close to upsetting Otago A, only to lose 65-67 and in the afternoon was beaten by Waikato 67-31. Canterbury Country then went on to beat Otago B twice in the play-offs.

 Results were:

NZ U17 Basketball CHAMPIONSHIPS
North Shore Events Centre
BOYS Pool play:

Pool 3: Canterbury 76 Taranaki 53, Waikato 76 Canterbury 61, Canterbury 115 Ngati Porou 14, Tauranga 85 Canterbury 59. Pool 2: Rotorua 73 Canterbury Country 48, Canterbury Country 66 Palmerston North 64, Canterbury Country 70 Counties Manukau 63, Otago A 89 Canterbury Country 61.
Quarterfinals 9-16th – Canterbury 86 Tasman 62, Auckland-Counties 74 Canterbury Country 70.

Semi’s 9-12^th: Canterbury 105 Auckland-Counties 33, 13th/16th – Canterbury Country 80 Tasman 62.

 

Final day results: 17th/20th – Palmerston North 88 Hibiscus Coast 62, Otago B 85 Ngati Porou 67,
Play-off for 15th/16th – Counties-Manukau 65 Tasman 62, 13th/14th –Canterbury Country 74 Taranaki 55, 11th/12th – Hawke’s Bay 82 Auckland-Counties 48,
Division two Final (9th/10^th)– North Harbour 96 Canterbury 72, 7th/8^th – Rotorua 70 Porirua 67,

Fifth/sixth – Wellington 84 Tauranga City 75, Third/fourth – Waikato 62 Waitakere West 57,
Grand Final: Otago A 81 (Richard Rodger 22, Josh Petermann 16, Joseph Cook-Green 14, Sam Timmins 14) Auckland 74 (Yuat Alok 22, Kane Keil 20) in extra time (68/68).
Boys Tournament Team – Kane Keil (Auckland), Yuat Alok (Auckland), Samuel Aruwa (Auckland), Joseph Cook-Green (Otago), Richard Rodger (Otago), Sam Timmins (Otago), Tai Wynyard (Waitakere West), Connor Johnston (Tauranga), Nikau McCullough (Waikato), Issac Letoa (Wellington).

MVP – Richard Rodger (Otago).

GIRLS Pool play:

Pool 1: Canterbury 110 Hutt Valley 24, Tauranga 56 Canterbury 47, Waitakere West 106 Canterbury 56. Pool 3: North Harbour A 85 Canterbury Country 43, Palmerston North 53 Canterbury Country 41, Otago A 67 Canterbury Country 65, Waikato 67 Canterbury Country 31.

Quarterfinals 9-16th:  Palmerston North 76 Canterbury 47, Semi’s  13-16th – Canterbury 90 Auckland 44, Playoffs  17^th/18th– Canterbury Country 63 Otago B 24, Canterbury Country 73 Otago B 44,

Final day results: 15th/16th – Auckland 66 Hutt Valley 38, 13th/14th – Tasman 71 Canterbury 52,
11th/12th –Rotorua 49 Porirua 44, Division two Final (9th/10^th)- Waikato 68 Palmerston North 40,

7th/8^th – Tauranga City 60  North Harbour B 41, 5th/6th – Otago A 60 Hawke’s Bay 54,
3rd/4th – Wellington 62 Taranaki 48, Grand Final – Waitakere West 85 (MAIA WILSON 20, 10 rebounds, MARIA MILANI 16 ,  MICHELLE NICHOLS  13, 11 rebounds) North Harbour A 79 (TERA REED 32, Tiarna Clarke 13, Georgia Perrott-Hunt 11).

Tournament Team – Kayla Manuirirangi (Taranaki), Connie Poletti (Taranaki), Maia Wilson (Waitakere West), Lyric Taurua-Wolgramm (Waitakere West), Jessica Nicholson (Waitakere West), Georgia Perrott-Hunt (Harbour), Tiarna Clarke (Harbour), Tera Reed (Harbour), Tegan Graham (Wellington), Aleisha Ruske (Otago). MVP – Maia Wilson (Waitakere West).