The opening round of the 2020 Hawke’s Bay Elite Basketball League saw a re-match of the 2019 Men’s Grand Final where Kings once again topped their arch-rival Akina in a thrilling match. Dom McGovan was named player of the week for his 35 point outburst in the game that helped lead his team to victory. Texans had put together a star-studded roster and had a performance that shows that could very well by the favourites in 2020. Meanwhile, the Women’s games were incredibly close with this year’s competition looking to be very even between the five teams involved.

Women’s Games

In the opening game in the Women’s Elite League, Bridge Pa opened a 23-12 lead after the first quarter in large part due to 8 points from Kat Brown. The onslaught continued in the second quarter where Bridge Pa outscored Heretaunga 19-10 for a half time lead of 42-23. Anyone in the sizeable PGA crowd who thought this game was done and dusted were in for a surprise however. In the third quarter Heretaunga stormed back thanks to 8 third quarter points from Frances Huia. All of a sudden the game was back to single digits, 52-45 to Bridge Pa heading into the final stanza. Heretaunga didn’t stop coming and with an 18-11 fourth quarter took the game to overtime at 63-63. Something that would have seemed unthinkable at halftime. Kat Jones led Bridge Pa in scoring with 22 points coming into overtime, while Heretaunga had a more balanced scoring effort with Huia, Shannon Mitchell and Journey Otene all in double digits. It was Otene dominating the overtime period scoring more points in overtime than her Bridge Pa opposition to lead her team to a pulsating victory.

Heretaunga 74 (J Otene 17, K Nahora 13, F Huia 12)
Bridge Pa 69 (K Brown 22, S Sadler 18, D Smiler 10)

In the second Women’s Elite League match of the season it was the high schoolers out of the gates early. With several games under their belts already this season, Hastings HS raced out to a 39-30 lead on the back of a balanced scoring effort with Jannali Johnson leading the way with 10 points. Ahuriri Flyers were helped along by Demi Forshaw, Zoe Ebbitt and Emma Mead. A 22-14 third quarter from the Ahuriri Flyers made it a one point game heading into the final quarter thanks to all seven players on the Flyers roster scoring in the third quarter. Ultimately the high schoolers were able to calmly close out the Ahuriri Flyers in a very close game giving them their first Elite League victory.

Hastings GHS 67 (R Blake 17, B Henry-Ioane 14, K Awa 13)
Ahuriri Flyers 64 (D Forshaw 24, Z Ebbitt 13)

Men’s Games

The game of the round featured a 2019 Grand Final rematch to open the Men’s Elite League competition; and the game lived up to all expectations. The game was basket for basket throughout the first half with Akina maintaining ascendancy throughout the half with Sheldon Mataira leading the way with 10 first quarter points. Kings stayed in it with 5 three pointers during the first half to be trailing 37-40 at the half. Kings blew the game wide open with 6 three’s in the third quarter only to go up 64-55 with one quarter remaining. Dom McGovan led Kings with 27 points at three-quarter time, including 7 three’s of his own. Mataira came out firing with two three’s to open the fourth quarter and BBHB High Performance member Lanson Randell (Lindisfarne College) had 8 points in a row late in the game; but it wasn’t enough to slow down Kings as the closed the game out from the free throw for an 85-81 win to keep the wood over their Akina rivals.

Kings 85 (D McGovan 35, K Johnson 23, D Christensen 12)
Akina 81 (S Mataira 23, L Randell 15, E Edwards & H Solomon 13)

St John’s College were welcomed to the Elite League by 2019 Bronze Medalists Toro Atu in dominant fashion. A 27-13 first quarter on the back of 13 points from 2019 Elite League All-Star 5 member Joshua Anderson set the scene for the game ahead. The high schoolers began adjusting to the pace and physicality of Elite League basketball in the second quarter but ultimately the class of Toro Atu, led by 2020 Hawks squad members Ravi Mani, Kobe Kara and Anderson was too much to overcome.

Toro Atu 100 (J Anderson 22, R Mani 19, K Kara 17)
St John’s College 56 (E Aguilar & J Keenan 11)

Napier BHS has had the wood over Hastings BHS in recent years and this game was no different. Napier Boys started slowly against a staunch Hastings BHS but it was the bench that finally broke the floodgates to help sky blue get to a 24-13 first quarter lead thanks to a balanced scoring effort. Hastings BHS won the second quarter 15-14 to keep the game at a 10 point deficit at the half; 38-28 to Napier. Hastings BHS big 3 of Tzar Smiler Jr, Denim Tuala-Fata and Lamour Spooner led the way for Akina but ultimately succumbed to the older sky blue group.

Napier BHS 94 (S Peakman 15, T Kendon & M Taylor 12)
Hastings BHS 46 (T Smiler Jr 13, L Spooner 12)

The newly formed Blazers ran into the defending 2019/20 Summer League Champions Texans in round one, and Texans did a lot to show way they are considered the presumptive favourites in this year’s Elite League over last year’s winner Kings and runner-up Akina. After coming 4^th in 2019, Texans have re-loaded with a stellar roster. A 19-6 opening quarter established the tone for the rest of the game as the Blazers struggled to compete with the league favourite Texans.

Texans 112 (J Murphy 27, A Burton 25, A Daly 15)
Blazers 25 (E Clare & J Russell 5)