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The final of the North Harbour Basketball open men’s grade was an exciting clash between two local teams as Whangaparāoa College took on previous winners Ōrewa College.
It was the first season that Whangaparāoa College has competed in the Open Men’s Grade, so making the final was a great result in itself.
Its team includes two players from Wentworth College, which was unable to field a senior team. Teacher in charge of basketball at Whangaparāoa, Jamie Gibson, says without those players and the way they bonded together it would have been a very different journey.
“It was great to see two local schools working and collaborating together outside of the classroom,” Gibson says.
Gibson describes the final, on Friday August 12 at Eventfinda Stadium in Albany, as a great occasion for basketball on the Coast.
“The atmosphere was amazing and the crowd support from both schools filled the stadium,” Gibson says.
It was a tight first half with the scores tied at 6-all after the first quarter.
Ōrewa College director of sport, Edith Miller, says the first quarter was tough for Ōrewa, as they got to grips with a team they hadn’t played against all year.
“They knew they had to pick up their game to win,” Miller says.
Whangaparāoa played with a lot of heart but as the game progressed the strength of Ōrewa College began to show and Ōrewa eventually won 62-42 and is now hoping for a spot in the nationals.
“Whangaparāoa never went away and fought till the end. These young men have gained some valuable experience from playing finals basketball,” Gibson says. “A big thank you to all the supporters from both schools – we’re looking forward to an exciting 2023 for basketball on the Coast.”
