The Northern Kāhu have cruised past the Southern Hoiho 95-47 at Eventfinda Stadium to move to 8-0 on the season.
The Kāhu got out to a hot start from the field, hitting 8-of-13 shots overall and 3-of-6 from three over the first seven minutes to help them to a 19-5 lead. Import Martè Grays had seven points to lead the early scoring burst.
The Hoiho responded with a 6-0 run out of the timeout, but a Madison Wolf and-one pushed the lead back to double digits and the Kāhu led 22-11 after the first quarter of action. Both teams were careless with the ball, turning it over six times a piece, but it was Northern who captilised with 10 points off Hoiho turnovers, compared to just three for Southern.
The second quarter was dominated by the Kāhu, as they erupted for 35 points and held the Hoiho to 13. The Hoiho committed a whopping 14 turnovers in the first half and it led to 24 points for Northern, feeding right into their offence and allowing them great looks. They shot a blistering 19-of-31 from the field in the half and 9-of-18 from downtown, whereas the Hoiho were struggling to get anything going with a 8-of-30 clip (1-of-8 3PT).
She may be one of the leading scorers in Tauihi this season, but Tahlia Tupaea showcased her passing game with eight first half assists. Tupaea did a fantastic job finding her teammates in great spots and setting them up for success, and they were making it rain from all over the floor. Grays was up to 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting and Tera Reed had 16 points on 5-of-6 and 3-of-4 from deep for the Kāhu.
Only three players found the scoring column for the Hoiho through 20 minutes of play - Laina Snyder had 12, Samara Gallaher 8 and Shelby Cheslek 4. Snyder's talent is undeniable, but for the Hoiho to be a legitimate threat they need the team as a whole to produce on offence. The Kāhu's defence and physicality was making that especially tough, though, and it's why they held a 57-24 lead at the break.
The Kāhu kept their foot on the gas in the third quarter to lead by over 40 with 10 minutes to play. They claimed the third 24-16 and led 81-40 heading into the fourth. The Hoiho continued to turn the ball over and play right into Northern's hands, and even on made shots the Kāhu were pushing the ball and running the floor.
Southern shot just 17-of-60 in the game and 4-of-24 from deep. Laina Snyder totaled 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting and Samara Gallaher scored 13. Their 23 turnovers paired with the poor shooting crippled the Hoiho, but it was more so the play of Northern that dictated the result this evening.
The Kāhu flexed their muscle in this one, and perhaps it was the insertion of Tera Reed into the starting lineup by head coach Jody Cameron that enabled Northern to open up on the Hoiho from tip-off. These two teams have been engaged in tight, physical tussles in their previous two meetings and both games came down to the wire. Jody Cameron wasn't going to let that happen again, though, and decided to make a lineup change despite her team coming in undefeated and already ahead of the curve.
Reed was exceptional with 21 points and nine rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 from three. Import Grays finished with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting and Tahlia Tupaea had 12 dimes.
Northern are now 8-0 on the season and this win might be their most impressive yet. They will meet the Whai for the third and final time in the regular season in Round 5, and the Whai will have that one circled seeking revenge for the previous two losses.
The Hoiho will return to Dunedin and host the Pouākai next Monday.
SCORE: Kāhu 95, Hoiho 47
Kāhu: Grays 25 PTS, 9-13 FG | Reed 21 PTS, 6-8 FG, 4-5 3PT | Tupaea 12 AST | Cocks 11 PTS
Hoiho: Snyder 17 PTS | Gallaher 13 PTS
Full box score HERE.
Stuff MVP Votes
Martè Grays (Kāhu) - 10 votes
Tera Reed (Kāhu) - 8 votes
Tahlia Tupaea (Kāhu) - 6 votes
Samara Gallaher (Hoiho) - 4 votes
Laina Snyder (Hoiho) - 1 vote
Shelby Cheslek (Hoiho) - 1 vote
Upcoming Opponents
Kāhu - July 31 @ Whai
Hoiho – Aug 1 vs. Mainland Pouākai
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Round 5 Tauihi Schedule
