
With the last round of regular season games completed at the weekend the Women’s Basketball Championship Play-offs groups are now completed. Check out which five teams will contest the Plate and the six that will compete for the Championship title.

With the last round of regular season games completed at the weekend the Women’s Basketball Championship Play-offs groups are now completed. Check out which five teams will contest the Plate and the six that will compete for the Championship title.

The Tall Ferns squad named by coach Kennedy Kereama for the upcoming international programme is close to a full strength lineup.
But for a knee injury Jordan Hunter would have been in the point guard mix and college commitments have ruled out regulars Penina Davidson and Stella Beck.
Otherwise this is a team with a nice blend of veteran experience and youth.
Take a look link

The Waikato Wizards and Harbour Breeze won their respective Women’s Basketball Championship local derbies at the weekend. Tall Ferns trialists Charlisse Leger-Walker, Deena Franklin and Georgia Agnew all made an impact link

On the eve of the Tall Ferns Selection Camp taking place in Auckland during the coming week a number of those selected appear in good form judging by their performances in the various Australian State Leagues at the weekend.
In the Queensland League (QBL) the Purcell sisters, Charmian, Natalie and Kalani did battle in Brisbane with the Spartans beating Gladstone Port City Power 95-57.
Natalie scored 15 points (3/4 3PG) and Kalani contributed 8 points, 8 rebounds and a couple of steals for Brisbane. At the other end of the court oldest sister Charmian, now retired from international basketball, made 7 points and corralled a team high 11 rebounds for Gladstone.
Also in the QBL Chevannah Paalvast and Micaela Cocks combined well for the unbeaten Mackay Meteorettes (7-0) as they defeated Rockhampton Cyclones 97-71.
Paalvast scored 16 points, including 4 from 6 threes, whilst Cocks landed 8 points and a team high 5 assists.
Out west Perry Lakes Hawks are also unbeaten in the WA State League. Boasting a 14-0 record they were way too strong for East Perth Eagles winning 80-51. Toni Farnworth (nee Edmondson) came up with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the Hawks.
Entering the weekend Sunbury Jets, coached by Tall Ferns coach Kennedy Kereama, boasted an 11-0 record in the Big V League. That record took a dent on Sunday when the Jets went down to Hume City Broncos losing 70-67.
Sunbury centre Josie Stockill contributed 4 points, 5 rebounds and a brace of steals and blocks in a losing cause.
The players invited to the Selection Camp beginning on Monday are:
Georgia Agnew –Harbour Breeze / NZL
Jessica Bygate – Melbourne Boomers/ Sandringham Sabres /AUS
Tea Charlton – Nottingham Wildcats/Nottingham Trent University /ENGLAND
Micaela Cocks – Townsville Fire/ Mackay Meteorettes /AUS
Antonia Farnworth (nee Edmondson) Perth Lynx/ Perry Lakes Hawks /AUS
Deena Franklin – Harbour Breeze /NZL
Jillian Harmon – Le Mura Lucca /ITALY
Charlisse Leger-Walker – Waikato Wizards /NZL
Kayla Manuirirangi – Tulane University /USA
Katelin Noyer – Fresno State University /USA
Chevannah Palvaast – Townsville Fire/ Mackay Meteorettes /AUS
Kalani Purcell – Melbourne Boomers/ AUS
Erin Rooney – Artego Bydgoszcz /POLAND
Josephine Stockill – Sunbury Jets /AUS
Natalie Taylor – Brisbane Spartans /AUS

Saturday was a good day for Canterbury Women’s basketball.
Not only did the Canterbury Women’s team win both games at Under 19 Nationals but the Wildcats registered a win also.
A couple of weeks ago the Wildcats were upset by Harbour Breeze but on Saturday they had no trouble disposing of Taranaki Thunder.
For a full report click here link

Week 5 of the Women’s Basketball Championship saw two wins for Harbour Breeze plus success for Tauranga Coasters, Waikato Wizards and Waikato Country Cannons.
Georgia Agnew, Deena Franklin and Charlisse Leger-Walker, all selected for the Tall Ferns Selection Camp next week, were each in good form.
Click here for a full roundup link

Georgia Agnew
Harbour Breeze travelled to Christchurch with an 0-4 record for their WBC encounter with the Alloyfold Canterbury Wildcats. The Wildcats were 7-0 this season and 21-0 all up.
see what happened next link

PiperManolas
In the clash between two top four teams from last season’s Auckland Secondary Schools Premier competition full court pressure from Auckland Girls Grammar School forced Westlake Girls High into early turnovers and they trailed 25-14 at quarter time.
Quality passing from Elianna Tuaiti fuelled transition baskets for Karma Skilton-Roberts and Tyla Tuala while Emme Shearer was the beneficiary of a flowing Westlake offence at the other end.
Elianna Tuaiti picked up two quick fouls in the second taking her to four personal and a spell on the bench. Her presence was missed as a brace of Jess Moors baskets and Shearer free throws pulled Lake to within four points (38-34).
Tuala had (13pts) as AGGS led 42-37 at the break with Moors (12pts) leading the Westlake scoring.
A Tuala three initiated a 7-2 Grammar run at the start of the second half – the run ended by a Piper Minolas basket.
Teneva Ropati scored in transition to stretch the Grammar lead to double figures.
Mareta Davidson and Mele Latu both excelled on the boards for their respective teams as Rionne Papa converted a left hand put back to leave Grammar ahead 68-49 at the end of the third.
A Piper Manolas three and a slashing drive from the same player did little to interrupt Grammar’s dominance in the fourth quarter. The defending champions, with numerous scoring threats playing their part, ran out comfortable winners 91-70
Score: Westlake 91 -Moors 20, Shearer 18 Manolas 9 AGGS 70 – Skilton-Roberts 18, Tuala 18, T Ropati 14, E Tuaiti 10
Rangitoto College quickly forged an 18-9 advantage over Avondale College and extended that to 34-17 by half-time. Kaitlin Burgess landed a timely three for Rangi but it was 8 points each from Bella Elgar and Centaine Noon-Duckworth that did most of the damage.
Avondale relied almost exclusively on the scoring abilities of Ngakita Paton-Young and Maclani Michael who both had fine games but they fell further behind in the third to trail 50-23 at the end of the period.
Metissa Edwards opened the Avondale account in the final period but a bunch of different scorers helped ease Rangitoto to a second win of the season.
Score: Rangitoto 70 – Noon Duckworth 17, Burgess 11, Elgar 11, Moania Spooner 11Avondale 39 – Paton-Young 13 Michael 21
Massey High also made it two wins from two outings with a relatively straightforward 99-47 win at newcomers Carmel College.
Massey got out to a 25-8 first quarter lead with Alyesha Schuster nabbing 7 early points. Emily Broomfield scored 10 points as the hosts put in an improved showing in the second period but they still trailed 48-23 at the break. Terina Aratangi and Schuster had 10 points each at half-time.
The visitors, with the scoring load shared, continued to dominate in the second half helped greatly by the rebounding efforts of Tessa Nikolaison who accumulated 13 boards in the game.
Score: Carmel 47 – Broomfield 26, Millie Simpson 8. Massey 99 – Aratangi 23, Schuster 19, Shauna Povey 12/6 steals, Sophie Davis 9, Nikolaison 5/13rebs
In the other game Mt Albert Grammar beat Orewa College 93-22 with Trinity Peau a single game high for the season with 42 points.
MAGS 93 – Trinity Peau 42, Moanekah Vaai 21, Monica Kelly 16 Alayna Kamuhemu 8 Orewa 22 – Ariana Henare 7, Janke Pretorius 5
Premier Standings
2-0 AGGS, Rangitoto, Massey
1-0 Mt Albert
0-1 Westlake
0-2 Carmel, Avondale, Orewa
Results from Senior A Grade:
Epsom 78 Birkenhead 38
Mt Roskill 53 Pakuranga 32
St Kentigern beat St Marys
Senior A Standings
2-0 Epsom
1-0 St Kentigern
1-1 St Marys, Mt Roskill, Birkenhead
0-1 Diocesan
0-2 Pakuranga
A couple of the early season favourites, Waikato Wizards and Alloyfold Canterbury Wildcats recorded round three wins in WBC action at the weekend.
Click on the link below for all the action

Waikato Country Cannons are a terrific addition to the competition, Capital Swish play an exciting brand of basketball and Waikato Wizards will be in the mix come play-off time. However it is the Alloyfold Canterbury Wildcats that continue to set the benchmark at the Womens’ Basketball Championship… http://bit.ly/2qNmszb