Northern Group Tauranga Whai are the G.J. Gardner Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa champions after an emphatic 90-71 victory over ANZCO Tokomanawa Queens in the Grand Final in Tauranga on Sunday.
Bottom of the table after opening the season with just one win in the first six games Whai reversed that form to storm into the postseason with five wins from six. That form continued as the Northern Kāhu were cast aside in the semi-finals by 25-points and it was another 20-point victory in a dominant performance in the showpiece game.
Injury caused Morgan Yaeger to miss half the season but on her return her influence was huge and it showed again in the final as she led the Whai scoring with 19 points. Also contributing in a major way were Lara McSpadden (14 points and 8 rebounds), McKenna Dale (16 points), Ashley Joens (11 points), Laina Snyder (8 points and 14 rebounds), Jade Kirisome (10 points) while Kaylee Smiler added 6 points to pair with a terrific defensive cameo.
Queens, appearing in a third straight Grand Final, received standout performances from the tireless Lou Brown who strung together yet another double-double with 19 points and 17 rebounds (a season high tally and Queens record), Jihyun Park scored 17 points, while skipper Stella Beck and Jordan Horston contributed 13 points apiece.
In front of a full house at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre a high-speed opening quarter went the way of the Whai as they opened up a 31-19 lead with point guard McSpadden and Yaeger the main contributors.
Queens had the better of the early stages of the second spell with Beck and Brown helping reduce the margin to single figures before Whai closed the half with 11 unanswered points to lead 57-37 at the main break.
Yaeger led all scorers with 12 first half points to accompany 4 assists while for the Queens Brown was already in double-double territory with 10 points and 10 boards.
The scoring slowed in the third as the pace of the contest appeared to take its toll. A mere 21 points were shared , the hosts with a 68-47 lead ahead of the final stanza.
Queens came back from 17 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat Mainland Pouākai in the semi-final and it needed something of even more significant in the championship game.
Five quick points from Brown kickstarted an improbable comeback but the response was immediate from Grand Final MVP Yaeger and Dale.
Queens competed gamely until the end but the celebrations of the home crowd and supporters at the final whistle capped off a memorable occasion in Tauranga.
Whai 90 – Yaeger 19pts, Dale 16pts, McSpadden 14pts, Joens (11pts), Kirisome 10pts, Snyder 8pts & 14rebs
Queens 71 – Brown 19pts & 17rebs, Park 17pts, Horston 13pts, Beck 13pts
