There are going to be four fantastic semi-finals on show at PGA on Wednesday evening in the Basketball Hawkes Bay Trail Media Elite League. Every semi-final matchup was a single digit game when they played eachother in the regular season and every game could go either way!

Men’s SF1: #1 Hastings Old Boys vs #4 Napier Tech Sweepers
7.30pm PGA Court 2

Hastings Old Boys: Elliot Edwards, Kaleb Edwards (C), Marcos Edwards, Geoff Heather, Mataeus Marsh, Devante Miller, Jacob Nahora, Czebalos Smiler, Latrell Smiler Ah-Kiong, Regan Spooner, Graham Takie, Reece Tuala-Fata

Napier Tech Sweepers: Everard Bartlett, Willie Burton, Clifton Bush Jr, Aidan Daly, Matt Edmondson, Craig Findlay (C), Jordan Frisby, Ben Hill, Morgan Maskell, Jack Smidt, Tzar Smiler Sr, Paora Winitana Sr

Napier Tech Sweepers took the regular season matchup 81-77 when these two sides matched up. But both sides were without key players. Paora Winitana Sr poured into 42 points for Napier Tech in their Quarter-Final, and PG Aidan Daly was also absent for the Sweepers victory over Hastings Old Boys. Old Boys will see Geoff Heather, Latrell Smiler Ah-Kiong and Mataeus Marsh notably return to the lineup who were absent for the regular season clash.

Hastings Old Boys will look to get out and run with leading scorers Reece Tuala-Fata and Latrell Smiler Ah-Kiong taking advantage of their deft speed and agility, while Napier Tech will look to dominate inside through Clifton Bush Jr, Willie Burton and Ben Hill. It will be a matter of who can assert their playing style, and who can limit the opposition’s playing style. Geoff Heather, Jacob Nahora and Kaleb Edwards will have their work cut out for them stopping Tech Sweepers interior presence, but equally the Tech Swepeers will need to be up to the job of containing the crafty drives, passing and cutting of the Hastings Old Boys.

This match could go either way and will no doubt be a spectacle for the fans in attendance.

Women’s SF1: #1 Napier Girls High School vs #4 Ravens
6.00pm PGA Court 3

Napier Girls High School: Sahria Adams, Aaliyah Beamsley, Kelarney Burgess, Madison Cunningham, Aliyah King, Janayah Lewis, Alex Mackintosh, Charlotte Minor, Shyan Murphy (C), Ashleigh Poi, Melika Samia, Chalee Whiunui, Sarah Winnie

Ravens: Sina Au, Lillian Bartlett (C), Julie Fergusson, Alisha Makea, Kathleen Nahora, Journey Otene, Kaya Rameka, Rhandelle Sharrock, Bena Smith, Max Taiapa-Powell, Terina Tewhai, Ngahuri Thompson, Killarney Wharemate

Girls High took the regular season encounter between these two sides 57-51. The interior presence of the team’s two leading scorers Kaya Rameka & Kathleen Nahora proved difficult for the schoolgirls to stop in their regular season encounter. The older heads of the Ravens bring a physicality to the game that helps push the schoolgirls to another level. A key factor to watch will be whether Ravens can slow Napier Girls High School down.

The schoolgirls play full court basketball at an extremely fast pace which has been difficult for the teams in this competition to contain. Even when Girls High’s 3pters aren’t dropping, scores in transition allow the schoolgirls to take the ascendancy in their Elite League games. The Ravens are known for their staunch defence, often being in close low-scoring games. Scoring for themselves has been the downfall of the Ravens however, but if they can convert some of the many opportunities they create for themselves then this one is well within their grasp.

The Girls High guard trio of Melika Samia, Aaliyah Beamsley and Ashleigh Poi will be key to their success along with the competition’s leading scorer Madison Cunningham. For Ravens, the aforementioned Rameka & Nahora will be difficult to do some heavy lifting on both ends to give their team a chance.

Men’s SF2: #2 Toro Atu vs #3 Kings
6.00pm PGA Court 2

Toro Atu: Joshua Anderson, Nick Agnew, Alonzo Burton, Dan Evans, Trey Fergusson, Ravi Mani (C), Johnny Ruhi, Ryan Ruhi, Tuaka Smallman, Jayden Winterburn

Kings: Bugg Davies, Cruz Davies, Dee Davies, Sean Kaata Dwen, Kareem Johnson, Darryl Jones, Dom McFarlane, Dominic McGovan, Tianua Poto, Kerry Rayner (C), Teina Toru

Toro Atu took out the Round #2 regular season affair 95-91 in a highly competitive match against Kings. Toro Atu have a three-headed monster in Alonzo Burton, Joshua Anderson and Ravi Mani that has proven incredibly difficult for most teams to contain. All three are in the competition’s top 6 scorers. Even when opposition defences cut off one of their three heads, the monster still has two formidable scorers remaining. Kings are known for their well-balanced offence with the competition’s leading scorer Centre Kareem Johnson dominating the paint with Dominic McGovan, Darryl Jones, and the Davies trio hitting several threes per match for Kings.

It'll be a tough ask for both teams defensively given the undeniable offensive prowess that both sides possess. That will be the key to winning this game: which team’s defence can limit the opposition’s offensive gameplan. A bit of luck with three point shooting may also cause a key defence with both sides possessing some of the competition’s most deadly assassins from the outside.

There are several high profile players in this game, and this game could go either way. This will be a real show for the spectators!

Women’s SF2: #2 Bridge Pa vs #3 Flyers
7.30pm PGA Court 3

Bridge Pa: Tie Tie Aiolupotea, Nane Araia, Kahlia Awa, Shontelle Awa, Laurae Blake, Raedeen Blake, Kyra Collier, Ngavero Heather, Breezyn Ioane, Dyvine Ioane, O’Shaarn Kata, Sequoia Sadler, Passion Te Amo, Kori Waerea (C)

Flyers: Georgina Campbell, Tayler Clare, Kresna Crouch, Peitan Gibbins, Madison King (C), Mahia Isherwood, Kaya Lord, Domonique O’Brien, Kaleel Spooner, Nina Straathof

These two teams have played twice in the regular season and both were extremely close encounters with Bridge Pa taking both wins: 76-67 and 70-67 respectively. This match is a real toss-up and will almost certainly come down to whether or not the Ravens can stop Kahlia Awa & Raedeen Blake from scoring layups. Flyers certainly have the personnel to achieve this with Georgina Campbell, Kaya Lord, Kaleel Spooner and Nina Straathof providing height in the interior to protect their paint and secure defensive rebounds. It will be a matter of whether the Flyers can institute the right defensive strategy to stop the speedy Bridge Pa guards that score the majority of their team’s points.

Passion Te Amo will be a key player to watch out for, if she can assist Awa & Blake in the scoring category it may be enough to push Bridge Pa over the line. Another key to the game will be the Ravens scoring ability. Kaya Lord has been on a tear recently and, with Madison King out for the season with a broken right ankle, will be required to do some heavy lifting scoring. The return of Tayler Clare should help assist Kresna Crouch and Mahia Isherwood as guards to handle the Bridge Pa guards and provide some extra scoring for Flyers.

The battle of the small Bridge Pa guards against the big Flyers centres will be an interesting one to watch; and we can extremely expect another single digit affair in this exciting semi-final matchup.