Photo Credit: Avanah Photography
In Sky Broadband Rapid League Round 7 action ANZCO Tokomanawa Queens strengthened their grip on top spot on the ladder with a sixth consecutive win. At the other end of the table BNZ Northern Kāhu won a second game on the bounce while Yellow I Glass Mainland Pouākai were reduced to four players in their loss to the Queens. Mike Lacey takes you through the above and everything else that you need to know about the fastest league in NZ
Hoiho 44 defeat Whai 40
A free scoring encounter in Dunedin was decided in the last quarter as Southern Hoiho prevailed 44-40 against Tauranga Whai.
After the scores were locked at 32 points apiece at three-quarter time Alana Howdon (nee Paewai) and Lil Dart combined to open up a six-point lead for the Hoiho.
A pair of Tayla Dalton free throws (she made 9 from 9 in the game) reduced the deficit before a Samara Gallaher triple, with thirty seconds to play, restored the six-point buffer.
Dalton and Jade Kirisome made a pair of jump shots but an Abby Harris inside make ensured the win and snapped a two-game Hoiho losing streak.
Lil Dart, Gallaher and Howdon featured strongly as the hosts forged a 26-23 half-time lead, in advance of a Sophie Rogers triple and six points from Dalton tying proceedings with a quarter to play.
That Gallaher three in the fourth was the game breaker.
Southern Hoiho 44 – Dart 13pts & 5asts, Paewai 10pts, Gallaher 7pts & 5rebs, Langton 4pts & 5rebs
Tauranga Whai 40 – Dalton 15pts, Kirisome 14pts, 5rebs & 3asts, Rogers 4pts
Queens 41 defeat Pouākai 38 in overtime
In an overtime thriller in Porirua the Tokomanawa Queens recovered from a 12-point first half deficit to defeat the Yellow i Glass Mainland Pouākai 41-38, a contest in which Pouākai were reduced to four players for the last couple of possessions of regulation plus the overtime period.
The Pouākai took the risk of naming just five players for the contest and the gamble backfired when the influential Hana Lacey-Rameka (11 points) picked up her fifth foul with her team 37-36 ahead and 22 seconds left on the clock.
Josie Trousdell sent the tie into overtime by converting a free throw, with the Queens then able to capitalise on their player advantage with game-winning scores from Pahlyss Hokianga and Keriana Hippolite in the additional minute.
It was all Pouākai in the initial stages as they charged to a 14-4 lead. The second period was a tussle between two Tall Ferns teammates. Hokianga scored 9 points for the Queens while Charlotte Whittaker posted the same number for the Mainlanders as they stayed ahead 23-15.
Pouākai were outscored 13-3 in the third but stayed ahead in the fourth period courtesy of three-point plays from Ava Jones, Kavanah Lene and Lacey-Rameka.
A pair of threes from Queens debutant Brooke Basham preceded Lacey-Rameka’s exit and after the game leveler from Trousdell the Queens then won the five-on-four contest 4-1 to record a sixth straight win.
ANZCO Tokomanawa Queens 41 – Hokianga 13pts & 3asts, Basham 10pts, Hippolite 7pts
Yellow I Glass Mainland Pouākai 38 – Whittaker 12pts & 5rebs, Lacey-Rameka 11pts, Lene 9pts, Jones 5pts & 5rebs
Kāhu 33 defeat Hoiho 22
Having begun the season with six straight losses The BNZ Northern Kāhu made it two wins on the bounce with a 33-22 victory against Southern Hoiho at Eventfinda Stadium.
Kāhu trailed 8-7 at quarter time but the teenage duo of debutant Sienna Maurice and Emma Schroeder combined for 9 points to help build a 15-8 lead approaching half-time.
However Samara Gallaher and Alana Howdon conjured up four points in 20 seconds to reduce the Hoiho deficit to three at half-time.
Hoiho sharpshooter Lil Dart scored 8 points, including a pair of arching threes, in the third as the visitors carved out a 22-20 lead entering the final period and looked set to make it two wins out of two in the round.
The Kāhu however had other ideas as they locked in defensively to hold the Hoiho scoreless and piled on 13 points at the offensive end with Keeley Tini and Schroeder providing the scoring clout.
BNZ Northern Kāhu 33 – Schroeder 11pts & 5rebs, Tini 11pts, Anderson 5pts, Morton-Jones 4pts & 5rebs
Southern Hoiho 22 – Dart 8pts, Howdon 7pts, Gallaher 4pts
Rapid Ladder
7-1 Tokomanawa Queens
5-4 Mainland Pouākai
4-5 Southern Hoiho
3-5 Tauranga Whai
2-6 Northern Kāhu
Top Ten 2025 Leading Scorers (total points)
77 Jade Kirisome (Whai)
76 Emma Rogers (Pouākai)
65 Lil Dart (Hoiho)
64 Briarley Rogers (Queens)
64 Emma Schroeder (Kāhu)
57 Samara Gallaher (Hoiho)
57 Keriana Hippolite (Queens)
54 Azure Anderson (Kāhu)
53 Charlotte Whittaker (Pouākai)
48 Kavanah Lene (Pouākai)
All-time Leading Scorers (total points)
175 Pahlyss Hokianga (Whai/Queens)
165 Azure Anderson (Kāhu)
164 Jade Kirisome (Whai)
151 Eva Langton (Queens/Whai/Hoiho)
137 Jacinta Beckley (Queens/Pouākai)
132 Emma Rogers (Whai/Pouākai)
126 Tyler Mitchell (Hoiho)
119 Steph Bairstow (Kāhu)
108 Keriana Hippolite (Queens)
102 Alana Howdon (nee Paewai) (Hoiho)
Rapid Youth
Kāhu wing Sienna Maurice became the latest member of the 2025 FIBA U16 Asia Cup silver medal-winning New Zealand team to feature in the Rapid League this season.
The North Harbour and Rangitoto College standout joins Nahala Toeleiu (Queens), Ava Jones and Emilia Ainley (both Pouākai), Areta Kahura (Kāhu) and the Broughton sisters Charis and Shamar (Whai) from that successful U16 team who have all made their Rapid League debuts this season.
Rapid Fire
The aggregate 84 points in Hoiho’s 44-40 defeat of the Whai was only a point shy of equalling the 85 points produced when the Queens beat the Whai 53-32 in the opening game of the season.
Rapid First
Having named only five players to take on the Queens, Mainland Pouākai were forced to play with just four players at the tail end of their overtime loss after Hana Lacey-Rameka fouled out.
