PNBHS PREMIER A BASKETBALL vs SLOW BREAK REPORT
Oh, what a great feeling it was to see our boys back on the court after a month off! This week the team were chomping at the bit to get back into training and make some headway into the form they had coming out of Super 8. They managed to squeeze in a couple of intense training before tonight’s semi against the experienced players of Slow Break, including Mr. Stacey Lambert.
PNBHS managed to make it through the season undefeated but Slow Break were going to put us through our paces. We last met them in May, our first game in Men’s League this season. We won that game 105 – 85.
The feeling on arrival at the Arena was an eerie one. With the current restrictions, there were only 2 games being played, with skeleton staff, players, coaches, and managers only permitted into the venue. Both teams had some dust to shake off after the lockdown and it appeared that Slow Break were a lot quicker shaking it than we were. 4 minutes into the quarter saw the opposition extend their lead to 6 points (8-2). PNBHS were putting up good shots, but nothing was sinking. It wasn’t until the final couple of minutes of the quarter that the constant pressure from Griffyn and Cooper created more opportunities while restricting those of their opposition. Our shots started counting like they should, and the gap closed to a ‘start from scratch’, 17 -17, at the end of the first.
The second quarter began like a game of tit-for-tat. We had youth on our side, so maintaining the pace of the game whilst remaining patient was the call card. By mid-way through the second quarter, we began to reap the rewards. Our tall timbers, Campbell and Kairangi, were reaching great heights to snatch the rebounds against some enormous opposition, and Dane was hitting his boundary shots in an effortless fashion. The quarter ended with PNBHS halfway through their mission to finals, with the score now at 42 – 28 in their favour.
Slow Break were never going to let the game get away from them. They had a game plan, and they were quick to execute it going into the third quarter. They came out firing, and halfway through the quarter had closed the gap to just 8 points. With only one crack at making it through to the finals, our boys knew they had to keep their heads and play PNBHS style basketball. Something that has been a real standout with this group of young men this season, is their ability to remain composed under pressure, to trust in their game and in their brothers. Quickplay through mid-court, smart passing, and aggressive drives to the rim saw the gap widen as our bigs did their job on the boards, and Maraki, Kaleb, and Kalem upped the speed and put the ball where it counted most. We were heading into the final quarter up by 20 points, 63 – 43.
We all know that 20 points can quickly dwindle away to nothing if it isn’t taken care of. With everything to play for, we were not planning to let it happen – though we knew Slow Break were planning to do their best to take it away from us. We started the quarter off well with the boys from the end of the previous quarter carrying on where they left off. Great anticipation was a feature of this quarter with some excellent intercepts and steals being created and capitalised from. A few minutes into the final quarter saw an opportunity for the depth of our team to take to the court with fresh legs and put their mark on the game. Tamatea and Jordan came out firing at both ends of the court with some great defensive play and a couple of tidy baskets. Ezra used his height to our advantage by shutting down shooting opportunities and set plays. These boys not only maintained the lead, but they also managed to extend it up to the final buzzer. PNBHS won their semi-final 90 – 68 and are through to the finals, against Oroua Jokers.
A huge thank you to Tess Petley and her team at Basketball Manawatu. The amount of time and effort that has gone into the logistical nightmare of making semi-finals and finals happen during the “Covid Era’, is incredible. We are eternally grateful for having the opportunity to play one game closer to the Grand Final in the Men’s Premier League. Thank you for all you do to keep these doors of opportunities open for our boys.
We also want to thank our families and supporters who miss out on watching our games from the side-line – we miss your atmosphere! We thank our generous sponsors who we know have our backs until the final buzzer sounds. Thank you Scafit, Property Brokers, Proegear, and Insurance and Mortgage Networks.
