Basketball: Mariners look to build on win

Former Tauranga Boys' College basketball player Ashton McQueen is in fine early-season form for the Tauranga City Mariners. Photo / George Novak

The Tauranga City Mariners are looking to keep rolling ahead of their SAS Sports Central Basketball Competition home opener against Waikato Pistons Development on Saturday.

The Tauranga club team, one of five taking part in a revamped competition that may also feature development teams from Palmerston North and New Plymouth next season, had a blend of experience and youth that proved too strong for the Turanga Suns Rising Suns in the opening round.

Led by 29 points from 18-year-old Ashton McQueen, who played for the Nelson Giants in the NBL pre-season, Tauranga eased out to win 83-58 and mark themselves as a team to watch.

Mariners coach Neil Fullerton was pleased Bay of Plenty players now had a pathway to the NBL and said the action would improve as the competition progressed.

"Both teams missed scoring opportunities - which is probably typical of the first game of a series - but I was pleased with our defence, particularly in the third and fourth quarters," Fullerton said.

"Our defence got us through - our full-court pressure."

With a back court featuring McQueen and former Wellington Saints player Ross Taurima combining for 40 points in the opener, the Pistons will need to be on their guard switching off screens.

In other action, the Rising Suns dropped the second game of their double header to St John's College, while Waikato Pistons Development were undone by their Hawke's Bay counterparts.

Tauranga City Basketball general manager Mark Rogers sees the rebirth of the league as a necessary step in building pathways for local players.

"I'm confident it's going to keep getting better; the big push from the five teams involved was to get it off the ground this year," Rogers said. "We knew it wasn't going to be perfect and there would be bits and pieces we could do better, but it was about getting it under way.

"It's the highest level we can play in at the moment, but is also potentially a stepping stone to an NBL team if that ever happens."

The new competition, featuring three games most weekends with one team playing a double-header, is designed to showcase the talents of players like McQueen in front of national league coaches as well give age group reps a better measuring stick for their development.

Tip-off at QEII on Saturday is at 2pm, with entry by gold coin donation. Sunday's match in Hamilton begins at 11.30am.