The U15 National championship boys final was a fabulous game between two undefeated teams. Harbour had a very tough road to the final, with Waitakere West and ACM providing a stern test in the quarter and semi-finals. Palmerston North had a tough game with Canterbury in the semi-finals and won through in overtime.

The final started with Harbour moving out to a 19-10 lead at quarter time. Palmerston North came back with a vengeance and tied the game up at 28-28 at half time. The second half saw the lead change a dozen times, with both teams trading baskets until the final quarter. The Palmerston North team drained a couple of threes that moved them out to a five point lead and then they shot their last 14 free throws in a row! The Harbour boys played hard to the finish but couldn’t quite close the gap. Palmerston North won their first National title in many years and finished the season undefeated with a 71-66 victory.

As for the Harbour team, we can be very proud of their season. To just fall at the final hurdle after an undefeated season is a credit to the boys and their brilliant coach Morgan Maskell. They were fantastic representatives of Harbour Basketball.

Congratulations to Harrison Clarke, Kruz Perrott-Hunt and Matt Sokol for making the tournament team.