We have 30 former Harbour reps playing overseas at present.

In our extensive pre-Xmas wrap we look at these players that are scattered across Australia, Europe and America.  

We start by taking a glance at the college players in the States, many of them performing exceedingly well.

Akienne-Tera Reed is in her fourth year at Virginia Commonwealth where the All Atlantic-10 First Teamer has missed a couple of games due to injury.

VCU opened Atlantic-10 Conference play with a solid 73-49 win against Richmond with Tera putting together 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Back in action she’s averaging 16 points per game and proving deadly from the free-throw line where she is shooting 93% (26/28).

Tayla Dalton scored a team high 16 points in her first outing for St Mary’s College, California Gaels. The Gaels (with kiwis Jade Kirisome and Amy West also in their line-up) went down 87-79 to Tera’s Virginia Commonwealth in their season opener.

Since then Tayla has averaged 24 minutes in her first six games tallying 9.8 points per game – her most recent effort a season high 18 points in the win against Nevada. Dalton leads St Mary’s in steals having claimed eight. 

2019 Aon U19 Nationals MVP Emme Shearer is at the University of Portland.

A freshman like Tayla, she scored 14 points (4/5FG, 5/6FT) in her first game for the UP Pilots as they won 82-70 at Seattle. She also enjoyed a 13 points and 5 steals outing against Northwest University.

Currently, after six appearances for the Pilots, Emme is averaging 7.2 points and a couple of steals. Averaging 17 minutes a game she has played more time than any other Portland bench player.

In NCAA Division II play Tessa Talo-Tomokino scored her first career points for Northeastern State in the Riverhawks 82-74 win against Missouri Western.

Tessa redshirted the 2019-20 season, her first at Northeastern, so it has been a long wait for the shooting guard to get on court. She scored 4 points making both of her shots in 14 minutes of action.

Since then Tessa has started six of the seven games played by Northestern totalling 18 points.

Harbour men have also been making an impression

Sam Mennenga underlined his potential in his very first outing for Davidson College Wildcats. The former Westlake forward was close to a double-double posting 12 points (4/6FG) and 9 rebounds as the Wildcats beat High Point University 82-73.

Following that with a 17 points haul against University of Texas, Sam, who played at the FIBA U19 World Championships in Greece in 2019, was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week.

He has since gone on to start in all eight games for the 5-3 Wildcats.

James Moors, a former Harbour, Westlake Boys and NZ U19 World Champs teammate of Sam, is in his first season at Colorado State University. In just his second game for CSU James scored 12 points on 5 from 6 shooting as the Rams beat Northern Arizona University.

Recently we witnessed  a mate versus mate clash with James and Colorado State visiting St Mary’s, California to take on Dan Fotu (and Canterbury’s Quinn Clinton) and the in-form Gaels.

James was inserted into the game after St Mary’s had got off to a 14-0 start. He immediately scored back-to back baskets but failed to add to that tally, however he did have the satisfaction of claiming a team high 7 rebounds in a 53-33 loss.

Dan was coming off being named St Mary’s Athlete of the Week having averaged, in the previous two games, 7 rebounds and 12 points on 10 from 16 from the floor (63%).

The former Harbour and Rangitoto College forward has started every game for the Gaels (8-2) averaging 7.5ppg.

Kruz Perrott-Hunt has also been a starter in every game for University of South Dakota. He scored 8 points as USD demolished University of Mt Marty 84-44 in their last outing before the Summit League commences in January.

University of St Francis, Illinois currently boast a 5-2 record with Reihana Maxwell-Topia boasting a start in four of those contests and averaging 5 points and 3 rebounds per game.

In contrast William Heather and Dallas Baptist University have played just two games – winning both. William had 7 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in the opener followed by 16 points, 4 assists and 3 blocks in game two, starting in both outings.

As reported before Sam Waardenburg will be missing from the University of Miami lineup this season due to injury.

In January we will hopefully see the following players taking to the floor:

Charlotte Armstrong (Barry University)

Chanel Brodeur-Muir (St Thomas Aquinas College)

Parehuia Delamere (Western Texas College)

Jazz Kailahi-Fulu (Williston State College)

Jordyn Maddix (Western Texas College)

Rashaan Smith (Dawson Community College)

Keeley Tini (Williston State College)

Hannah Wentworth (Utah State Eastern)

Joel Coffey (Florida National University)

Marvin Williams-Dunn (Ouachita Baptist University)

Penina Davidson played for Melbourne Boomers in the 2020 Australian Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) shortened season that concluded last weekend.

The Boomers fell just short of making last Sunday’s Grand Final edged 65-62 by Townsville Fire in the semi-final two days earlier.

Penina was playing her 3rd season in the WNBL, playing the last two seasons with Melbourne after debuting in 2018 for Adelaide Lighting. 

The NBL begins in January with a bunch of former Harbour guys preparing for tip-off on January 15.

Rob Loe, Tom Abercrombie, Corey Webster, Tai Webster and Taine Murray (Development Player) will suit up for the Breakers, Jarrod Kenny will again be with Cairns Taipans and Yanni Wetzell is in his first season with South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Meanwhile Isaac Fotu is playing his seventh season in Europe. After stints in Spain and Germany he is now playing for Venice in Italy. The Tall Blacks forward is averaging 12 points per game in Serie A.

Matt Freeman had 5 points and 4 rebounds when making his debut for Trier in the German ProA League last week.

Wishing all Harbour players at home and abroad a Merry Xmas and a more normal 2021.