In Sky Broadband Rapid League Round 4 action table-toppers BNZ Northern Kāhu and The Northern Group Tauranga Whai both grabbed victories to improve to 4-1 this season. The Haswell Timber Mainland Pouākai were also in the winners circle. Bouncing back from a defeat in Auckland against the Kāhu on Friday night they proved too good for Southern Hoiho a couple of days later in Christchurch. Read on to have Mike Lacey take you through the wins and losses as well as the ins and outs of Round 4.
BNZ Northern Kāhu 34 defeat Haswell Timber Mainland Pouākai 25
In the opening game of the round it was a dominant second quarter that propelled BNZ Northern Kāhu to a 34-25 home victory against Haswell Timber Mainland Pouākai at Eventfinda Stadium on Friday.
Trailing 12-11 at quarter time Kāhu outscored Pouākai 11-0 in the second stanza to take a firm grip on proceedings.
Led by Ash Strawbridge and debutant point guard Abby Cubillo the Cantabrians reduced the margin to six points at the end of the penultimate quarter. However a third triple in the contest from Steph Bairstow (3/5 3PG) and a jumper from Kodee Williams-Sefo (the 2024 National Secondary Schools MVP) making her first appearance for the Kāhu, sealed a fourth straight win for the hosts.
Bairstow, the Rapid League’s leading scorer finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds and Krystal Leger-Walker tallied 10 points while Strawbridge and Cubillo were the best for Pouākai with 9 points apiece.
Top players-
Kāhu- Bairstow 15pts/6rebs, Leger-Walker 10pts/3assists
Pouākai- Strawbridge 9pts/4rebs, Cubillo 9pts
The Northern Group Tauranga Whai 34 defeat ANZCO Tokomanawa Queens 29
In the first Rapid League game ever staged at Tāupo Events Centre The Northern Group Tauranga Whai came from 12 points down to beat ANZCO Tokomanawa Queens 34-29 on Saturday.
Averaging just 21 points per game the Queens were already ahead of that mark at half-time and enjoying the comfort of a 26-18 lead.
Then, inexplicably, the Queens scoring dried up after the break and the Whai were able to take full advantage. They closed to within five points (29-24) with four minutes remaining before successive baskets from McKenna Dale tied proceedings with 65 seconds to play.
Dale then came up with the game winning plays as she followed a defensive block with a drive down the lane for the go-ahead basket.
Kaylee Smiler calmly stroked a pair of free-throws and the Whai comeback was complete – Queens held to just three points in the second half!
Earlier Lauryn Hippolite scored 9 points and Alan Paewai 6 as the Queens enjoyed their most productive half of the season. Eva Langton’s 10 points on 4 from 5 shooting against her former club kept the hosts in touch before Dale stepped up to be the difference maker.
The Whai (4-1) remain top of the table alongside the Kāhu while the Queens slip to 0-4 and will rue an opportunity missed in this one.
Top Players-
Whai - Langton 10pts, Dale 9pts/3 blocks, Smiler 7pts/5rebs
Queens- Hippolite 9pts, Paewai 6pts, K Hippolite 5pts
Haswell Timber Mainland Pouākai 35 defeat Southern Hoiho 24
With scoring contributions from all seven players Haswell Timber Mainland Pouākai won the Southern derby 35-24 at Cowles Stadium, Christchurch on Sunday afternoon.
Pouākai established a 9-5 first quarter lead with Ash Strawbridge, the game’s highest scorer, making all but two of the home side’s points.
Ahlise Hurst was inserted into the lineup to give the Hoiho additional scoring punch and did exactly that as she made back-to-back threes. A Tess Morrison score followed as Pouākai led 16-13 at the main break.
The difference at three-quarter time was still three (23-20) after Tyler Mitchell and Lauren Tewhata exchanged triples.
Millie Simpson and Mitchell cancelled out scores from Vitolia Tuilave and Cubillo at the outset of the fourth before Pouākai scored the last eight points to seal a second win of the season.
Top Players -
Pouākai -Strawbridge 16pts, Morrison 6pts/3steals, Cubillo 2pts/5rebs/3assists
Hoiho- Harris 6pts/5rebs, Hurst 6pts, Mitchell 5pts
Rapid Express
It went from quick step to the funeral march for Tokomanawa Queens in their loss to Tauranga Whai in Taupo. The Queens had a 26 points at half-time but managed a meager 3 points in the second half.
Rapid Fire
A season high 16 points from Ashlee Strawbridge was within a single point of the Pouakāi’s single game scoring record (Jacinta Beckley scored 17 points against Tokomanawa Queens last season). Strawbridge is now second on the leading scorer list behind Kāhu forward Steph Bairstow.
Rapid Leading Scorers
52 Steph Bairstow (Kāhu)
44 Ash Strawbridge (Pouākai)
38 Eva Langton (Whai)
36 Tyler Mitchell (Hoiho)
34 Sophie Rogers (Whai)
30 Bailey Flavell (Kāhu)
29 Chelsea D’Angelo (Hoiho)
29 Azure Anderson (Kāhu)
27 Kaylee Smiler (Whai)
27 McKenna Dale (Whai)
Rapid Leading Rebounders
20 Steph Bairstow (Kāhu)
20 Azure Anderson (Kāhu)
18 Millie Simpson (Hoiho)
18 Aliyah Dunn (Hoiho)
17 Eliana Tuaiti (Kāhu)
17 McKenna Dale (Whai)
17 Eva Langton (Whai)
16 Chelsea D’Angelo (Hoiho)
16 Kaylee Smiler (Whai)
16 Ash Strawbridge
Sky Broadband Rapid League Standings after Round 4
