Photo credit: thxmasdesign
The Sky Broadband Rapid League season reached its conclusion following the completion of Round 16 action.
Remembering the Nelson Giants had already been crowned champions it remained to be seen which team would claim the runners-up spot - Canterbury Rams or Taranaki Airs?
In the end it was the Rams as they eased to another fifty points in beating the Bulls while the Airs were defeated by the champion Giants.
At the other end of the table Manawatu Jets held on to beat Southland Sharks and condemn their opponents to the wooden spoon. Mike Lacey takes you through the above and everything else you need to know in the final edition of the Rapid Wrap for season 2o24.
Tauranga Whai 26 Property Brokers Manawatu Jets 27
Having lost six games by four point or less the Property Brokers Manawatu Jets managed to come out on the right side of the ledger on Tuesday night in Tauranga beating the Whai 27-26.
Fittingly Jackson Stent, the Jets senior player and their only ever present through the Rapid League season, made the go ahead shot to seal the victory.
It was a tight contest throughout but when Whai’s leading scorer Te Tuhi Lewis (10 points) along with Zion Anderson and Adam Dunstan (9 points) reeled off six straight points the Jets trailed 26-21 with under a minute to play.
However a Campbell Scott three reduced the arears with 46 seconds to go and after botched free-throws from the Whai Simon Lafaele (7 points and 10 rebounds) found Stent and the former Canterbury Ram made no mistake with a corner three with just 14 seconds to play.
Earlier Lafaele and Josh Tutagalevao owned the opening spell to give the Jets a 10-8 lead.
Dunstan and Lewis then bossed the middle periods as Whai carried a 20-19 advantage into the final period.
That lead would increase but not sufficiently enough to deter Stent and the Jets.
Napier RSA Hawks 28 Auckland Tuatara 24
With a young well performing side the Napier RSA Hawks were very much in Rapid League title contention midway through the season when boasting a 7-2 record. However at that point they lost the services of outstanding forward Tommy Fergusson (averaging 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game) and Balin Casson - then soon after Tanae Lavery.
The Hawks then slumped to seven losses in the next ten games before closing the season with a 28-24 home victory against the Auckland Tuatara on Wednesday night.
A recent upside for the Hawks has been the form of Kahu Treacher – recently named to the Junior Tall Blacks. His season high 15 points against the Tuatara was his fifth double figure outing in the six games he has donned the Hawks uniform.
The New Zealand junior international scored 13 of those points in the first half as the Hawks, despite a late three from Reuben Fitzgerald, led 17-14 at half-time.
Hawks leading scorer Jacob Murphy scored 5 points to keep the hosts ahead (26-18) at the three-quarter mark.
The ever reliable Nick Barrow and exciting guard Brayden Iuli reduced the deficit in the fourth but the Hawks held on to end the season on a high.
BBQ’s Direct Canterbury Rams 51 Franklin Bulls 29
A week after setting a Rapid League single game record of 60 points BBQ’s Direct Canterbury Rams passed the half century mark for the fourth time in the campaign as they defeated Franklin Bulls 51-29 at Cowles Stadium on Thursday night. In addition it was a victory that confirmed the Rams second place finish in the inaugural Rapid season.
Mac Stodart, averaging 14 points per game over the previous five games, had half of that number in the opening quarter as the Rams established a 12-4 lead.
Christian Vano matched that number (also passing 100 points this season) in the second period although the Bulls still trailed 22-13 at half-time.
The Rams increased the margin substantially in the third. 37-17 the advantage at three-quarter time as Taki Fahrensohn, Aiden Tongue and Hugo Gonzales-Garcia (11 points) nailed triples.
In the final stanza Dru Leusogi-Ape demonstrated why he is the Rapid’s leading scorer but the Rams had little trouble in chalking up a sixth straight win to conclude their successful season.
Property Brokers Manawatu Jets 39 Southland Sharks 37
In the wooden spoon decider Property Brokers Manawatu Jets defeated Southland Sharks 39-37 in Palmerston North on Friday night. The Jets victory, their second of the round, condemned the Sharks to last spot on the Rapid League ladder.
Josh Tutagalevao was an inspiration for the Jets finishing with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block. With the Jets 2-points ahead and looking to repel the Shark’s final attack Tutagalevao picked a Sharks pocket to gain possession and secure the Jets their fifth win of the season.
Jackson Stent (11 points) continued his good shooting form from 48 hours earlier, and along with Campbell Scott, took the Jets a 13-9 first quarter lead.
Riley Snow, Connor Coll and Scott Telfer’s endeavours reduced the margin to a single point in favour of the Jets at half-time (20-19).
Triples from Stent and Jonty Kells extended the Jets lead before a couple of Ben Hall transition baskets kept it a single point margin at the third break.
Telfer tallied 6 points in the fourth but Kells, Simon Lafaele and that man Tutagalevao held the Sharks at bay.
Night ‘n Day Otago Nuggets 38 Franklin Bulls 35
In Dunedin on Saturday Night ‘n Day Otago Nuggets beat Franklin Bulls 38-35 in a game that featured the MVP votes leader and the League’s highest points scorer and both featured strongly.
MVP votes leader Josh Aitcheson scored a game high 14 points and with 8 coming in the opening half the Nuggets forged a 22-14 lead.
Rapid leading scorer Dru Leusogi-Ape began the game just 4 points shy of 200 points in the campaign and kept Bulls fans waiting until the final minute of the third period before edging closer to the notable milestone.
After Matt Pyper and ever present Robbie Coman stretched the hosts advantage to double figured the Bulls hit back. Adding to contributions from Christian Vano and Halasiale Maile, Leusogi-Ape made a triple to pull the Bulls to within seven points (34-27) with a quarter to play.
Leusogi-Ape added 6 points in the fourth, to finish the season with 205 points, and although the Bulls reduced the deficit to three the Nuggets were able to hold on for the victory.
Mills Albert Pathways Wellington Saints 33 Southland Sharks 27
Mills Albert Pathways Wellington Saints defeated Southland Sharks 33-27 in the capital on Sunday afternoon.
Hassan Munir, given a debut on the last day of the Rapid League season, scored the opening points of the game although they were swiftly answered by the Sharks as the opening quarter was tied 8 points each.
Corey Lovell demonstrated his prowess above the ring - his put back giving the Saints a 17-15 half-time lead.
Two of the Rapid League’s leading scorers demonstrated their abilities from beyond the arc in the early stages of the second half. First it was Connor Coll for the Sharks and then Tyson Thata for the hosts.
With Sam Gold also connecting from deep the Saints carried a 27-20 lead into the final quarter.
After a Thata free-throw Scott Telfer and Ben Hall were the scorers as the Sharks closed to within a single point (28-27) with almost three minutes remaining.
From there the Sharks scoring ground to a halt enabling Dion Prewster to put distance between the teams in those final minutes.
Taranaki Steeelformers Airs 32 NBS Nelson Giants 38
The inaugural champions NBS Nelson Giants brought the curtain down on the Rapid League season with a 38-32 victory at Taranaki Steeelformers Airs in New Plymouth on Sunday evening – the 16th win of the season for Giants coach Tom Gargiulo and his charges.
An And-1 play from Aston Inwood took the Giants workhorse past 100 points for the season – the fourth Giant to that milestone – and an 11-7 lead at quarter time.
Triples from Zavier Adam and Dane Bertinshaw drew the Airs within one before a Tom Ingham buzzer beater maintained the Giants four points advantage (17-13) at half-time.
Fresh off his MVP performance for Nelson at Under 18 Nationals 24 hours earlier Hayden Jones opened the second half with a two handed flush. Bertinshaw and Geordie Hoeata replied for the hosts but the Giants still held sway (26-21) with a period to play.
A Cameron Quinnell triple reduced the Airs deficit before Jones dominated the dying minutes. The teenage Tall Black scored 10 of his game high 14 points in the final stanza as the Giants closed out proceedings in trophy winning style.
Following on from the achievements of the New Zealand team at the FIBA U17 Men’s World Cup in Turkey it’s pleasing to report that the majority of the Junior Tall Blacks squad, named this week, have also been plying their skills in the Rapid League this season.
Junior Tall Blacks squad to contest the FIBA U18 Asia Cup in Amman, Jordan in September:
Will Blight, Nelson Basketball Association/Canterbury Rams
Jonty Bond, Nelson Basketball Association/Canterbury Rams
Nic Book, Canterbury Basketball
Ezrah Eagle, Basketball Hawkes Bay/Auckland Tuatara
Julius Halaifonua, NBA Global Academy / Harbour Basketball Association
Mahnaya Heke, Waikato Basketball/Tauranga Whai
Carter Hopoi, Tauranga Basketball Association/Tauranga Whai
Ryan Hunt, Waitakere West Auckland Basketball/Auckland Tuatara
Tama Isaac, Canterbury Basketball/Canterbury Rams
Xanda Marsters, Rotorua Basketball Association/Tauranga Whai
Kahu Treacher, Eastern Arizona College (US)/Hawke’s Bay Hawks
Josh Wyllie, Harbour Basketball Association/Auckland Tuatara
Only seven players took the court in all 20 games for their respective teams in Rapid League ’24.
Congratulations to the Super Seven of Nick Barrow (Tuatara), Halasiale Maile (Bulls), Te Tuhi Lewis (Whai), Nico Hill (Airs), Jackson Stent (Jets), Tyson Thata (Saints) and Robbie Coman (Nuggets) on this accomplishment.
The Rams became the first team to score 60 points in a single game when demolishing the Sharks 60-27. Three players scored in double figures but it was the extra gear they found from beyond the arc – making 11 from 16 at 61% - that accelerated the scoring.
With 19 points in two games during the round Dru Leusogi-Ape increased his lead at the top of the points scoring list and passed the 200 points mark in the process.
205 Dru Leusogi-Ape (Bulls)
187 Te Tuhi Lewis (Whai)
176 Nico Hill (Airs)
171 Josh Aitcheson (Nuggets)
158 Connor Coll (Sharks)
148 Ben Hall (Sharks)
141 Jacob Murphy (Hawks)
140 Nick Davidson (Giants)
137 Kaia Isaac (Rams)
136 Rangimarie Dougall-Mita (Saints)
135 Tama Isaac (Rams)
134 Tobias Cameron (Airs)
133 Tyson Thata (Saints)
132 Hayden Jones (Giants)
130 Scott Telfer (Sharks)
127 Kazlo Evans Jr (Saints)
112 Christian Vano (Bulls)
111 Tom Ingham (Saints)
109 Matt Bardsley (Nuggets)
109 Kobe Kara (Hawks)
The top 10 vote-getters during the season are listed below. The MVP for the season will be announced later in the week along with the Rapid League All-Star 5.
Josh Aitcheson (Nuggets)
Connor Coll (Sharks)
Robbie Coman (Nuggets)
Nick Davidson (Giants)
Kazlo Evans Jr (Saints)
Kaia Isaac (Rams)
Tama Isaac (Rams)
Hayden Jones (Giants)
Dru Leusogi-Ape (Bulls)
Te Tuhi Lewis (Whai)
16-4 Nelson Giants
14-6 Canterbury Rams
13-7 Wellington Saints, Taranaki Airs
12-8 Otago Nuggets
11-9 Hawkes Bay Hawks
9-11 Auckland Tuatara
7-13 Tauranga Whai, Franklin Bulls
5-15 Manawatu Jets
3-17 Southland Sharks
