The 2019 Women’s Basketball Championship (WBC) season concluded on Saturday night with Auckland Dream crowned Division 1 Champions after defeating Harbour Breeze 89-86 in overtime. 

In front of a large crowd at AUT Sports Centre a pulsating, high quality game was full of ebbs and flows and outstanding individual performances but it was Taylor (25 points) who produced the match winning performance. The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to drag her team back into the contest and then added a further 5 points in overtime to deny the Breeze the title

Ahead 63-48 early in the fourth quarter the Breeze looked destined to win the championship they last held back in 2014. However a 12-1 Dream run meant Harbour’s lead was down to three points with under 5 minutes to play.

Ashleigh Kelman-Poto (18 points and 9 rebounds) righted the ship for Harbour, her quick eight points meant the regular season champions led 74-65 with 2:30 to play.

Up stepped Taylor to score seven of her team’s next nine points to tie proceedings at 74 points apiece inside the final minute.

Yet again the Breeze took the lead when Penina Davidson (20 points and 16 rebounds), named to the WBC All-Star 5, scored inside but Taylor, with ice in her veins, calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to force overtime.

Ella Fotu (12 points and 8 assists) opened the scoring in the extra five minutes but Kalani Purcell and Taylor knocked down back-to-back threes and it was suddenly a seven points margin in favour of the Dream.

The Breeze to their credit were not finished as Davidson, Yume Negishi (20 points) and Matangiroa Flavell scored on consecutive possessions to reduce the Dream advantage to 87-86 with less than thirty seconds to play.

Experienced point guard  Jordan Hunter calmly knocked down a pair of freebies after being fouled for Auckland and when Negishi’s game levelling three-point attempt rimmed out the Breeze challenge was finally extinguished.

After Auckland had won the opening frame 17-10 the Breeze, courtesy of special performances from Negishi, Fotu, Davidson, Franklin and Kelman-Poto, outscored their opponents 47-29 in the next two periods. 

The quintet were unlucky to be on the losing end of a final that will long live in the memory

Breeze 86– Penina Davidson 20/16r, Yume Negishi 20, Ashleigh Kelman-Poto 18/9r, Ella Fotu 12/8a, Deena Franklin 6, Emme Shearer 4, Taylor Dalton 4, Matangiroa Flavell 2

Dream 89– N Taylor 25, K Purcell 24/11r, K Kiriau 17, C Mellars 11/9r

In the Division 2 Cup Final McAlpine M10 Mega North Canterbury Spirit proved too strong for Harbour Zephyr winning 74-61.

Zephyr were paceded by 17 points from Olivia Berry but newly named Tall Fern Esra McGoldrick compiled a double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds to lead Spirit to a deserved 74-61 victory and claim the inaugural WBC Division 2 Cup.

Zephyr poured in three pointers galore in their semi-final win against Rotorua and scores from beyond the arc by Jordyn Maddix, Tiarna Clarke (16 points) and Hannah Wentworth meant they were very much in contention at the main break trailing 41-33.

Berry scored seven points for Zephyr in the third quarter but that was bettered by  Hannah Crabtree who made ten points as the stanza was shared 16 points apiece, 57-49 in favour of the Spirit with ten minutes to play.  

Parehuia Delamere led the Zephyr defensive effort (she added 4 steals to 7 rebounds) in the final stages as they tried to cut the deficit but the Spirit held on to claim the win. 

Spirit 74 – Esra McGoldrick 18/14r, Sila Morris 15, Hannah Crabtree 12/11r

Zephyr 61 – Olivia Berry 17, Tiarna Clarke 16, Jordyn Maddix 10, Hannah Wentworth 8, Parehuia Delamere 5/7r/4st, Wuanyei Ah-Hing 5