The final week of Amp'd April of the 2025 Sky Broadband Rapid League saw eight games played across ANZAC Day weekend including a triple header on Saturday Mike Lacey takes you through everything you need to know about the fastest league in Aotearoa in this week's Rapid Wrap!
Rapid Wrap
The action began with Amohia Te Waiora Tauranga Whai winning a double overtime encounter at Property Brokers Manawatu Jets on Thursday.
After the scores were locked at 37 points apiece following the first overtime period it was 5 points from Jayden Bezzant, in the second extra period, that tilted the game the way of the Whai as they defeated the Jets 42-39.
With the back court duo of Tyson Thata-Paese and Tinashe Matambanadzo in good form the Jets were ahead 18-15 at half-time and when Thata-Paese, the league’s leading scorer, made his third three of the contest midway through the third frame he became the first player to pass 300 Rapid League points.
Jayden Bezzant edged Whai ahead shortly before the third break (27-26) and although Thata-Paese would drop triples number four and five in the final quarter more points from Bezzant and successful efforts from Jayden Boucher and Jett Thompson meant the scores were tied at the end of regulation.
Neither team scored in the initial extra minute but in the second 60 seconds those five points from Bezzant were enough to carry Whai to a fourth straight win.
Property Brokers Manawatu Jets 39 - Thata-Paese 22pts, Matambanadzo 9pts, Wynyard 4pts & 7rebs
Amohia Te Waiora Tauranga Whai 42 – Bezzant 18pts, Thompson 15pts, Boucher 2pts, 5rebs & 4a
Franklin Bulls were narrowly denied a fourth win on the bounce after going down 38-37 to Total Energies Hawks in the early game on ANZAC Day.
After a sweet dish from Kobe Kara for a Jacob Murphy runner the Hawks, ahead 35-26 with two minutes to play, appeared to be cruising to a comfortable win.
However a pair of baskets from Zion Anderson and a third from Christian Vano reduced the margin to three.
An Eagle triple gave the Hawks some breathing space – just enough to defy the Bulls after late points from Harri Coker-Grey.
Earlier, three first half treys from Campbell Scott fired the Hawks to a 21-16 lead at the main break.
Inside baskets from Kobe Kara countered KC Nwafor and Anderson scores to carry the Hawks to a 29-23 three-quarter time advantage. The comeback from the Bulls ensued as they outscored the hosts 14-9 in the fourth but their late charge came up just short!
Total Energies Hawks 38 – Scott 11pts, Kara 10pts & 3a, Eagle 9pts, Murphy 6pts, Keighley 2pts & 5rebs
Franklin Bulls 37 – Vano 14pts, Anderson 12pts, Coker-Grey 7pts & 4stls, Nwafor 4pts & 8rebs
In the later encounter on ANZAC Day NBS Nelson Giants won a high scoring encounter against Southland Sharks 53-39. The Giants were navigating unchartered territory - having suffered consecutive losses for the very first time - but showed their intent not to give up a third loss by shooting a blistering 57% (8/14) from beyond the arc in the opening half to set up a commanding 34-18 lead.
Quake Webster, Dane Bertinshaw and Tukaha Cooper set about reducing the deficit and they enjoyed a degree of success with the margin reduced to 12 points (43-31) with a quarter to play.
Any chance of the Sharks making further in-roads were snuffed out by Kaleb Chamberlain The Giants forward scored 8 points in the fourth period eventually finishing with a season best 13 points.
Chamberlain received good support from Coen Williams and Aston Inwood as they mustered 12 points apiece while Bertinshaw also scored 12 to lead the Sharks effort.
Southland Sharks 39 – Bertinshaw 12pts, Cooper 9pts, Webster 5pts.
NBS Nelson Giants 53 – Chamberlain 13pts, Inwood 12pts, Williams 12pts, Dempster 9pts & 7rebs
A much changed Indian Panthers lineup were no match for Property Brokers Manawatu Jets going down 55-22 in Palmy North on triple-header Saturday.
The highlight of the contest was a half-way line ‘prayer’ from Josh Crowley that found nothing but net as the quarter time hooter sounded – the Jets already 22-4 to the good.
From there the home side were in cruise control with Tinashe Matambanadzo (18 points), Tyson Thata-Paese (13 points) and Crowley (10 points) each in double figures.
Brody Perry, on loan from the Franklin Bulls, and Zavier Pearn, borrowed from the Jets, led the Panthers effort with 9 points and 6 points respectively.
Property Brokers Manawatu Jets 55 – Matambanadzo 18pts, Thata-Paese 13pts, Crowley 10pts, Lambert 7pts, Wynyard 5pts & 7rebs
Indian Panthers 22 – Perry 9pts, Pearn 6pts & 6rebs, Carr 5pts
The Isaac brothers Kaia and Tama, playing together in the Rapid League for just the second time this season, combined for 27 points to set the platform for BBQ’s Direct Canterbury Rams 45-40 victory over Auckland Tuatara at Eventfinda Stadium in the second game on Saturday.
The duo had 15 of the Rams 26 first half points, with Tony Worthington adding 7, as they led by six at the break – Josh Leger with 7 for the Tuatara.
Noah Rasmussen made an inside basket for the Tuatara on the resumption before the Rams broke the game open with a 10-4 run to lead 39-26 entering the final period.
Tawhiri Cate increased the Rams lead by two before back to back triples from Dylan Wilkie initiated a spirited Tuatara comeback. Further scores from Leger narrowed the deficit to four points before Kaia Isaac iced the Rams win at the foul line.
Auckland Tuatara 40 – Leger 12pts & 7rebs, Wilkie 11pts, J Wyllie 4pts & 3a
BBQ’s Direct Canterbury Rams 45 – K Isaac 16pts, T Isaac 11pts, 5rebs & 4a, Worthington 9pts, I Cate 5pts
Despite a Rapid best 16 points from Quintin Bailey, Taranaki Steeelformers Airs suffered a 42-34 home loss at the hands of Amohia Te Waiora Tauranga Whai in the third and final game on Saturday.
The loss condemned the Airs to a sixth straight loss while the Whai have put together a run of five consecutive wins.
After the Whai led 20-18 at half-time Bailey tied the contest ahead of a Maioro Greensill initiated 8-0 Whai run – the visitors ahead 33-28 at three-quarter time.
Consecutive Denhym Brooke baskets pushed the lead out further and although Bailey connected from beyond the arc Brooke did likewise to give Whai a 40-31 lead with just 90 seconds to play.
Riley Tuuta and Bailey added points but it was Jett Thompson that had the final say to put the seal on a victory that lifted the Whai into the Rapid League top four.
Taranaki Steeelformers Airs 34 – Bailey 16pts & 4rebs, Tuuta 9pts, Adam 5pts
Amohia Te Waiora Tauranga Whai 42 – Brooke 15pts, Boucher 7pts, Greensill 7pts & 5rebs, Thompson 7pts, Bezzant 6pts & 4a
In the early game on Sunday the Mills Albert Pathways Wellington Saints defeated Total Energies Hawks 31-22 at TSB Arena.
Hawks duo Jacob Murphy and Kade Cartwright made first half threes before a late triple from Marnie Dougall-Mita tied proceedings at the break at 14 points apiece.
Arthur Pilcher then made 5 straight points and with he and Lukah Richards upping the defensive pressure the Hawks offence began to splutter.
A Murphy jumper took his tally past 100 points for the season but the Hawks were kept to just 8 points in the second half.
At the other end Keelan Magalogo and Kazlo Evans Jr eased the Saints towards a double figure advantage and a relatively comfortable win.
Mills Albert Pathways Wellington Saints 31 – Pilcher 9pts, Evans Jr 9pts & 3stls, Magalogo 5pts, Richards 2pts & 7rebs
Total Energies Hawks 22 – Murphy 8pts, Keighley 6pts & 3blks, Kara 3pts & 5rebs
The final game of the round featured two of the top four sides and it was NBS Nelson Giants the prevailed with a 38-35 win in Dunedin against Night ‘n Day Otago Nuggets.
The Giants dominated the opening half as they established a 22-12 lead with Aston Inwood (5 points and 5 rebounds in the half) and Cooper Adams (a pair of threes) prominent.
A corner three from Sam Dempster and an athletic put back from Lachie Crate kept the Giants in the ascendancy although 5 points each from Christian Martin and Mac Stodart trimmed the deficit to 6 points (30-24) only for Coen Williams to hit a buzzer beater on the three-quarter time buzzer.
Undeterred, the Nuggets kept chipping away and when Martin dropped his third three from a well executed in-bounds play the margin was a single point (36-25).
Unfortunately for the Nuggets only 7 seconds remained and forced to foul they sent Dempster to the free-throw line from where the veteran forward made 2 from 2 to confirm the Giants win.
Night ‘n Day Otago Nuggets 35 – Stodart 13pts, Martin 11pts & 3stls, Freeman 3pts & 6rebs
NBS Nelson Giants 38 – Dempster 9pts, Inwood 6pts & 6rebs, Jones 6pts, Wiliams 6pts, Adams 6pts, Crate 4pts, 2stls & 2blks
Simply Rapid
Jets guard Tyson Thata-Paese continues to set records. With 22 points against Tauranga Whai he became the first player to pass 300 Rapid League career points.
20 points or more in a game have been scored on six occasions this season – Thata-Paese has three of the six!
Jets guard Tinashe Matambanadzo became the second payer, after teammate Thata-Paese to score 100 points this season, with Hawks guard Jacob Murphy the third.
The Jets loss to the Whai (42-39) was their sixth defeat by three points or less. The total points difference for those six losses being just 10 points.
The Giants equalled their highest score in defeating the Sharks 53-39. Ironically on the previous occasion they scored 53 points it was also against the Sharks – in 2024.
The Hawks were held to 22 points by the Saints – those 22 an equal Rapid low for the Hawks.
Aquinas College retained the Boys Secondary Schools 3x3 title at the weekend. Three Tauranga Whai Rapid League players were on the winning team – Mike Wade, CJ Flavell and Ky-Mani Kaumoana.
2025 Rapid League Leading Scorers
188 Tyson Thata-Paese (Jets)
108 Tinashe Matambanadzo (Jets)
101 Jacob Murphy (Hawks)
96 Dane Bertinshaw (Sharks)
93 Jayden Bezzant (Whai)
85 Dylan Wilkie (Tuatara)
80 Christian Martin (Nuggets)
77 Quintin Bailey (Airs)
76 Harri Coker-Grey (Bulls)
74 Kazlo Evans Jr (Saints)
69 KC Nwafor (Bulls)
68 Mac Stodart (Nuggets)
All-time Rapid League Leading Scorers
321 Tyson Thata-Paese (Jets)
242 Jacob Murphy (Hawks)
240 Te Tuhi Lewis (Whai)
205 Dru Leusogi-Ape (ex Bulls)
201 Kazlo Evans Jr (Saints)
196 Scott Telfer (Airs)
195 Rangimarie Dougall-Mita (Saints)
193 Hayden Jones (Giants)
190 Josh Aitcheson (Nuggets)
177 Tama Isaac (Rams)
176 Nico Hill (ex Airs)
175 Mac Stodart (Nuggets)
All-time Rapid League Appearances
31 Tyson Thata-Paese (20 for Saints in ‘24, 11 for Jets in ‘25)
30 Jacob Murphy (Hawks)
29 Nick Barrow (Tuatara)
29 Rangimarie Dougall-Mita (Saints)
29 Caleb Smiler (Nuggets)
28 Jett Thompson (Whai)
Rapid Ladder
8-2 Saints
7-2 Giants
7-3 Nuggets, Whai
6-5 Hawks
5-4 Rams
4-5 Panthers
4-6 Bulls
4-7 Jets
3-7 Tuatara
2-7 Airs
2-8 Sharks
