Round Seven closes in Dunedin on Sunday evening with competition-leading Southern Hoiho hosting ProcureX Mainland Pouākai at the Edgar Centre in a game carrying significant implications at the top of the standings.
Hoiho have already secured their place in the Final Four and sit clear at the top after winning seven of their opening eight games.
Victory on Sunday would move Southern to 8-1 and give them a three-win advantage over the Pouākai with just three games remaining in their regular season.
It would not mathematically secure top spot, with points percentage the first and only tiebreaker should teams finish level on wins, but it would put Hoiho firmly in control of the race for first.
Their latest victory came in dramatic fashion against Tokomanawa Queens, with Julie Wojta scoring the go-ahead basket with half a second remaining to secure a second buzzer beating result against their rival.
Lil Dart again led the scoring, Paige Bradley continued to orchestrate the offence and Wojta delivered when it mattered most as Hoiho extended their winning run to seven.
Pouākai arrive in Dunedin looking to bounce back after their own momentum was interrupted by BNZ Northern Kāhu on Friday night.
Mainland recovered from a slow start to work their way back into the game, but a fourth-quarter Kāhu surge proved decisive in defeat.
Morgan Yaeger led Pouākai in scoring, while Allysyn Becki produced a double-double and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis again provided perimeter firepower that would eventually come up short.
Despite the loss, Pouākai remain firmly in the Final Four race and bring the competition’s highest-scoring offence to Dunedin.
That sets up a clear contrast.
Pouākai lead Tauihi in scoring, field-goal percentage, three-point percentage and rebounding margin.
Hoiho lead the competition in scoring defence, assists, steals and turnover margin.
When these teams last met earlier in Christchurch, Hoiho came away with a big win but it was the Pouākai who dominated the glass in their first meeting of the year to take the win.
Can Pouākai slow Southern’s charge at the top, or will Hoiho open a three-win cushion with only three games left to play?
When: Sunday 8 November
Where: Edgar Centre, Dunedin
Rapid League: 5:00pm
Tauihi: 6:00pm
Watch Live: Sky Sport 3 in New Zealand, ESPN+ in the United States and FIBA YouTube everywhere else internationally
Commentary: Kayla Manuirirangi and Tera Reed
Box Score Here
Buy Tickets Here
Hoiho list Julie Wojta, Marie Bertholdt, Bec Pizzey, Lil Dart and captain Paige Bradley as their starting five.
Bertholdt is questionable with an Achilles injury, while the remainder of the starting group is expected to play.
Alexa Duff, Kiana Brown, Tia Pavihi, Samara Gallaher, Millie Simpson, Abby Harris and Zoe Richards make up the Rapid League group.
Pouākai will start Morgan Yaeger, Allysyn Becki, captain McKenna Dale, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Esra McGoldrick.
Mikayla Vaughn is listed as questionable with an ankle injury.
Ruby Cutbush, Sari Mowbray, Ava Jones, Maddy Timms, Emilia Ainley and Rebekah Frisby-Smith make up the Rapid League group.
Their second meeting of the season was a battle between two of the competition’s strongest sides and remained in the balance deep into the fourth quarter.
Pouākai made the stronger start behind Morgan Yaeger before Hoiho responded with a dominant second quarter to take a six-point advantage into halftime.
Mainland fought back after the break and remained within one possession late, but Hoiho produced the key plays down the stretch.
Lil Dart scored important late baskets before Julie Wojta converted two clutch free throws to close out the seven-point victory.
McKenna Dale led Pouākai with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
Dart finished with 21 points for Hoiho, Wojta added 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Bradley contributed 17 points and six assists.
Leading Players
Pouākai: McKenna Dale (17P, 11R, 6A), Mikayla Vaughn (15P, 7R, 3A), Morgan Yaeger (12P, 7R, 6A)
Hoiho: Lil Dart (21P, 5R, 7A), Julie Wojta (19P, 11R, 2A), Paige Bradley (17P, 6R, 6A)
Hoiho secured their Final Four place with another dramatic win over the Queens.
The competition leaders held a narrow advantage through the opening half before Tokomanawa fought their way back into the contest.
The Queens eventually took a one-point lead inside the final seconds, but Bradley attacked the basket and found Wojta cutting into an open lane for the winning score with 0.5 seconds remaining.
Dart scored 23 points, Bradley finished with 21 points and 13 assists, while Wojta added 14 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
Leading Players
Hoiho: Lil Dart (23P, 4R, 4A, 3S), Paige Bradley (21P, 4R, 13A), Julie Wojta (14P, 6R, 2A, 2S, 2B)
Queens: Taylor Mikesell (22P), Penina Davidson (18P, 6R), Charlisse Leger-Walker (17P, 8R, 3A)
Pouākai’s were unable to keep their winning ways going in Auckland on Friday night.
Kāhu raced to an early double-digit advantage before Mainland steadied through the middle two quarters to work their way back into contention.
A Mosqueda-Lewis three brought Pouākai within striking distance during the fourth, but Kāhu responded out of a timeout with Ella Fotu providing the decisive perimeter burst.
Yaeger led Mainland with 24 points, Becki added 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Mosqueda-Lewis also scored 17.
Leading Players
Pouākai: Morgan Yaeger (24P), Allysyn Becki (17P, 10R, 5A, 2S), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (17P, 7R, 2A)
Kāhu: Megan Mullings (23P, 9R), Tayla Dalton (22P, 7A, 3S), Erin Bollmann (21P, 12R, 9A, 3S)
There is plenty at stake beyond another win for Southern.
Victory would move Hoiho to 8-1 and open a three-win advantage at the top of the standings with only three games remaining on their schedule.
That would leave the squad in an extremely strong position to finish the regular season first, needing just one more victory to seal home court advantage in the post season.
It would not make top spot mathematically certain. If another team were eventually to draw level with Hoiho on wins, points percentage is the competition’s first and only tiebreaker.
But with a win on Sunday, the equation becomes increasingly difficult for everyone chasing them.
For Pouākai, that makes this an important opportunity to keep the gap manageable while strengthening their own position in the Final Four race.
Sunday brings together two very different strengths.
Pouākai lead Tauihi in scoring at 89.4 points per game.
Hoiho allow just 72.9, the best defensive mark in the competition.
Mainland also lead the league in field-goal percentage and three-point percentage, while Hoiho sit among the competition’s best defensive teams across both areas.
Pouākai want space, pace and clean perimeter looks.
Hoiho want to disrupt rhythm, force turnovers and make opponents work through long possessions.
Whichever side establishes its preferred style should have a significant advantage.
This remains one of Mainland’s biggest challenges.
Pouākai sit last in Tauihi in turnover margin at -4.9 per game.
Hoiho lead the league at +4.5.
Southern also lead Tauihi with 11.8 steals per game and were able to force 18 steals in the opening match of the season.
Dart, Bradley, Wojta, Pizzey and Bertholdt all generate pressure without Hoiho needing to rely on one defensive specialist.
Mainland’s offensive talent is obvious, but possessions ending before they can get into their offence would play directly into Hoiho’s hands.
This is where Pouākai hold their clearest statistical advantage.
Mainland lead Tauihi with a +9.4 rebounding margin and collect 46.5 boards per game and dominated the glass with a +19 advantage in the teams first match of the season.
Hoiho sit at -0.9.
Dale remains at the centre of that advantage, averaging 9.6 rebounds, while Becki has collected 7.3 per game since joining the competition. But the big question for the Pouākai in this space is the health of Vaughn who has proven a difficult matchup for the Hoiho.
Wojta leads Hoiho at seven rebounds per game, while Bec Pizzey adds 5.8.
If Hoiho allow Mainland repeated second opportunities, the league’s highest-scoring offence becomes even harder to contain.
Dart leads Southern at 21.3 points per game, but Hoiho’s success has been built on much more than one scorer.
Bradley averages 13.5 points and a league-leading 10.3 assists.
Bec Pizzey is producing 13.3 points while shooting 66 percent from the field.
Bertholdt averages 13 points and Wojta adds 10.9.
Hoiho also lead Tauihi at 23.5 assists per game.
They have consistently found the open player rather than relying on one matchup, helping make them particularly difficult to guard during their seven-game winning streak.
Both guards are central to their team’s ability to create offence.
Dart is averaging 21.3 points, five rebounds and 4.5 assists and has consistently delivered during Hoiho’s winning streak.
Yaeger averages 17 points and 5.6 assists and enters after scoring 24 against Kāhu.
Dart brings scoring pressure, while Yaeger is vital to getting Pouākai organised.
Two guards capable of impacting the game without dominating the scoring.
Bradley leads Tauihi with 10.3 assists per game and has already passed 600 career points this season.
Becki is averaging 8.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists through her first three Pouākai appearances.
Her 17-point, 10-rebound performance against Kāhu showed the breadth of her influence and a similar output today would lift Pouākai chances for victory.
A matchup featuring two of the competition’s most versatile forwards.
Wojta averages 10.9 points, seven rebounds and two steals per game.
Dale averages 18.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
Dale’s ability to stretch the floor and create off the bounce forces opposing forwards to defend everywhere.
Wojta’s activity at both ends makes her one of Hoiho’s best options to respond.
| Category | Hoiho | Pouākai |
|---|---|---|
| Points | Lil Dart, 21.3 | Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, 25.0 |
| Rebounds | Julie Wojta, 7.0 | McKenna Dale, 9.6 |
| Assists | Paige Bradley, 10.3 | Morgan Yaeger, 5.6 |
| Steals | Paige Bradley, 2.6 | Morgan Yaeger, 1.1 |
| Blocks | Julie Wojta, 1.0 | Esra McGoldrick, 1.3 |
| FG% | Bec Pizzey, 66% | Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, 55% |
| 3P% | Bec Pizzey, 44% | Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, 52% |
| Category | Hoiho | Pouākai |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 7-1 | 5-3 |
| Points | 79.8, 2nd | 89.4, 1st |
| Points Allowed | 72.9, 1st | 83.4, 4th |
| Scoring Margin | +6.9, 1st | +6.0, 2nd |
| FG% | 43%, 2nd | 45%, 1st |
| Defensive FG% | 42%, 2nd | 42%, 3rd |
| 3P% | 29%, 4th | 35%, 1st |
| 3P% Defence | 32%, 3rd | 30%, 2nd |
| FT% | 77%, 1st | 67%, 5th |
| Rebounding Margin | -0.9, 3rd | +9.4, 1st |
| Assists | 23.5, 1st | 20.0, 3rd |
| Blocks | 3.4, 1st | 2.0, 5th |
| Turnover Margin | +4.5, 1st | -4.9, 5th |
| Steals | 11.8, 1st | 6.1, 5th |
| Assist/Turnover | 1.83, 2nd | 1.17, 5th |
Pouākai own the league’s most potent offence and its strongest rebounding profile.
Hoiho lead the competition in defence, assists, steals and turnover margin.
Mainland’s ability to look after the ball may be the biggest swing factor.
If they get shots up, they have the offensive weapons to trouble Hoiho.
If Southern turn those possessions into steals and transition opportunities, the league leaders can quickly take control.
The Rapid League matchup tells a very different story.
Pouākai sit at 4-4 and remain in the middle of the standings, while Hoiho are 1-7 after a difficult campaign.
Mainland rank third defensively at 28.8 points allowed per game, while Hoiho sit fifth in both offence and defence.
The first meeting showed how little can separate them, with Pouākai edging Hoiho 24-23.
For Mainland, Rebekah Frisby-Smith has averaged 6.5 points and six rebounds through her first two Rapid appearances, while Ruby Cutbush averages 6.4 points and remains their main perimeter threat.
Emilia Ainley provides the interior efficiency, shooting 72 percent from the field while averaging 5.3 rebounds.
Hoiho are led by Zoe Richards at 6.1 points per game, with Alexa Duff averaging 5.3 and Tia Pavihi 4.9.
Richards gives Southern their best interior presence, while Duff remains capable of changing the game from deep.
Pouākai’s advantage comes through their defence and rebounding.
Hoiho need Richards, Pavihi and Duff to produce enough scoring to keep the game within reach and give themselves a chance late.
McKenna Dale enters Sunday on the verge of another major Tauihi milestone.
She began Round Seven 21 points short of becoming the first player to reach 800 career points and, after scoring six against Kāhu on Friday, now needs 15 against Hoiho to reach the mark.
Dale also made her 50th Tauihi appearance in Round Seven.
For Hoiho, Paige Bradley became the first player in franchise history to reach 600 career Tauihi points in Round Six.
She enters Sunday on 619 career points and continues to build on her standing as Tauihi’s all-time assists leader.
The league’s best defence against its best offence.
The competition leaders against one of the teams still capable of applying pressure at the top.
Hoiho have built their 7-1 record through defence, pressure, ball movement and consistency across the floor.
Pouākai have built the competition’s most explosive offence around shooting, size and rebounding.
But Sunday carries an additional layer of significance.
A Hoiho victory would move them to 8-1 and give them a three-win lead in first place with only three regular-season games remaining.
It would not mathematically lock away top spot, with points percentage the first and only tiebreaker should teams finish level on wins, but it would place Southern firmly in control of their own destiny.
The first meeting belonged to Hoiho, but Mainland had opportunities late and remain one of the few teams with enough scoring power to test Southern for 40 minutes.
Pouākai also arrive with little time to dwell on Friday night’s loss.
For Mainland, this is an opportunity to respond immediately and keep pressure on the teams above them.
For Hoiho, it is a chance to turn their lead at the top into a commanding one.
