Harbour capped off a terrific four days in Dunedin by capturing both the Men’s and Women’s titles at the Aon Under 19 National Championships. In addition the Harbour B Men finished a highly creditable seventh.

Harbour A survived a late scare against Auckland to win 78-73 with the Women’s Final even closer, Harbour edging Waikato 63-61.

Harbour Men appeared to be cruising to victory when Tournament MVP Sam Mennenga (averaged 22.5ppg) scored with less than five minutes to play to give his team a 75-58 lead.

To their credit Auckland, led by Alex McNaught (20 points), mounted a stirring fightback scoring six straight baskets to close to within five points (75-70)  with 74 seconds to play. Harry Payne scored to ease the Harbour nerves but McNaught wasn’t finished making four more points inside the last 60 seconds.

Time was Auckland’s enemy and forced to foul it was fitting that Mennenga, the game’s leading scorer with 38 points, made the final point of the game to seal the victory.

Earlier a tight opening quarter was edged by North Harbour 20-18 and from there Mennenga reeled off 11 straight points. When Taine Murray scored in the shadows of half-time Harbour had a 44-33 advantage.

The lead was 58-48 at three-quarter time and after Harry Payne (4/6 3PG) knocked down a couple of triples early in the fourth it looked as if Harbour would ease to a comfortable win.

Auckland had other ideas but ultimately couldn’t deny Harbour the title, a deserved one after finishing runners-up on three occasions since last winning the U19 title under Rob Loe’s watch back in 2008. 

Head Coach Matt Lacey praised Auckland’s resilience. “I thought, being undermanned as they were, they played unbelievably well. They gave us a few worries down the stretch but after some nervous moments the experienced players saw us to the win.

“Sam (Mennenga) had a terrific game and I hope he can carry that form into the U19 World Cup in Greece later this month.

“It’s certainly a good start to the representative season for the Harbour teams with the Women also claiming the title and the B team also doing well,” Lacey added.

In addition to Sam Mennenga being named MVP, Marvin Williams-Dunn and Taine Murray were also named to the Tournament Team. 

Aon Nationals Men’s Final:

Harbour 78 – S Mennenga 38/15r, H Payne 17, T Murray 10, M Williams-Dunn 3/6r/5a/3s/1b

Auckland 73 – A McNaught 20, N Wilson 20/10r, B Robb 11

 

In a fitting finale to the Women’s Championship old foes North Harbour and Waikato played out a final that was not decided until the last possession of the game.

After Jazz Kailahi-Fulu had scored with 11 seconds to play to give Harbour a 63-61 lead Waikato drew up one last offence following a timeout. The resulting shot bounced off the rim allowing Harbour to secure the rebound and reverse the result of last year’s final.

Waikato had much the better of the early play - Tyler Mitchell came off the bench to make 7 points as Waikato took a 19-15 into the quarter time break – a quarter that saw Harbour lose captain Mereta Davidson to a shoulder injury.

An 8-2 run to begin the second quarter propelled Waikato to a double figure lead (27-17). A couple of Jess Moors baskets kept Harbour in touch at half-time down 37-25. 

Hannah Wentworth, Kailahi-Fulu and Moors inspired a momentum swing in favour of Harbour to open the third but the composed Ella Bradley (20 points and 10 rebounds) and Kasee Leef ensured Waikato held a 53-47 lead with ten minutes to play.

Emme Shearer (14 points and 10 rebounds) scored the first two baskets of the final quarter to reduce the deficit to just two points.

The two teams exchanged baskets for a while before Shearer, named Tournament MVP, nailed a three as the shot clock expired to tie proceedings with 3 minutes to play (59-59).

Koha Lewis cancelled out a couple of Harbour free throws with 23 seconds to play but it was Kailahi-Fulu’s inside basket that would ensure Waikato were denied a three-peat.

In addition to Emme Shearer being named MVP, Jess Moors and Jazz Kailahi-Fulu were also named to the Tournament Team. 

Aon Nationals Women’s Final:

Waikato 61 – E Bradley 20/10r, K Leef 11, T Mitchell 9, K Lewis 8

Harbour 63 -  E Shearer 14/10rJ Kailahi-Fulu 12, R Smith 10, J Moors 9, H Wentworth 8

 

Harbour B Boys rounded out a successful tournament with an 80-74 victory against Manawatu after trailing 46-35 at half-time. The deficit was reduced to five points at the end of quarter three ahead of a definitive last quarter in which Manawatu were outscored 28-17.

Thomas Morgan saved his best until last scoring a team high 21 points and Dallas Clayton, the team’s highest scorer at the tournament (100 points at 16.7ppg), logged 17 points of which a dozen were scored in the fourth quarter.

Josh Kooiman played a captains knock with 11 points while Reuben Natusch and Cian Emery scored 8 points each.

Anytime a B team gains a top eight finish it is viewed as a highly creditable performance.