Pivac-Solomon was pleased for her team. Without major contributors such as veteran Adam Harford, they had to dig deep in the course of 32 gut-busting minutes.
“We led that final for most of it, before the Cheetahs came back in the fourth quarter,” Pivac-Solomon said.
Her crew had ball-handling skill in Holden Wilson (12 points), and height, youth and athleticism in the form of 6ft 5in Seb Wilson and 6ft3in Kiwa Ria.
“We had only one substitute but the boys played well, and Dom made those foul-shots in the clutch. It was a great game.”
Some 300 fans took in this year’s final. Only 60 were there for the inaugural men’s
Draft League final, an 85-81 victory to Team Reg over Team Tom on November 30, 2021, when Covid-19 restrictions were in force.
The Cheetahs beat the Tigers 63-58 in Game 6 of this year’s competition, and revenge in the final could not have tasted sweeter for Pivac-Solomon’s crew.
Cheetahs marksman Carl Riini and Tigers powerhouse Seb Wilson both scored 21 points in the final. Riini, his team’s skipper, struck gold from the perimeter five times.
Wilson made three three-point plays, went through double-teams twice and made a dunk-shot for 57-51.
The showpiece also contained elements of comedy: the tip had to be thrown up twice by referee Brendan Walsh; later, Clinton Tarei was called for progress by Blumfield on the baseline as, tightroping the endline, he threw a pass which hit the back of the backboard.
But Tarei also made two classic three-point shots from the right wing, produced nine points and had an excellent all-round game.
Referees Blumfield, Walsh and Ethan Ngarangione-Pearson made calls without fear or favour.
One minute 47 seconds before halftime, 13-year-old Cheetahs player Xavier Pivac-Solomon drove to the hoop left side; tall Tiger Kiwa Ria (4pts) leapt from behind and pinned the lay-up attempt to the backboard, with the ball on its way down.
A second after Ria’s defensive effort, Blumfield — in the right place at the right time – ruled it goal-tending and counted the blocked shot as a made basket.
It was a call backed up by the experience of a man in his 61st season with the whistle.
None present who appreciate the mechanics of officiating will soon forget it.
The Cheetahs had a 7-6 player advantage and opened the scoring.
Israel Kerisome (9pts), on the right baseline, downed a 12-foot shot over Seb Wilson. Pointguard Holden Wilson (12) then hit a trey right side to give his Tigers a one-point lead.
Ria battled to score against Kerisome in the low-post for 5-4 and then Dom Wilson hit the first of his three first-quarter treys, to put the Tigers up 8-4.
Holden Wilson found Clinton Tarei on the run with a length-of-the-court pass for 10-7, Cheetahs’ Thomas Kepa then hit a trey from the left wing for 10-10.
His teammate Ryan Walters — one of the most effective players in local hoops — sacrificed his own shot so that Riini could clear his guns, and he set the tone for physicality against Seb Wilson.
Strongman Walters did what the Cheetahs needed him to do defensively, in limiting Wilson to 21 points, as opposed to the 34
with which he buried the Lions in the 2 v 3 semifinal.
Former Canterbury Ram and Cheetahs coach Quentin Solomon acknowledged the massive effort of GBA administrators and officials.
Week 3 marked the first use of the three-referee system in this year’s Draft League.
“That final was the perfect way to end the league — you couldn't ask for more,” said Solomon, who paid tribute to his squad.
“Carl and Tom stood out for me. Felix did what was asked of him, Izzy has an uncanny ability to navigate his way to the hoop, while Juan Ibanez — our Argentinian import — brought passion and uniqueness. Xavier will grow from this experience with and against older players. Ryan, most importantly, anchored our defence.”
Ngarangione-Pearson was ever-vigilant. With quartertime on the horizon, he as centre official nabbed Kerisome for progress.
With five seconds to play, Holden Wilson swung through under the basket and made a tough reverse lay-up for 20-15.
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Riini got things going again in the second period with a 15-footer, and the Tigers forced the Cheetahs to commit the only shot-clock violation of the final on the next possession. Seb Wilson then made a three-point play against Kerisome on the right side of the floor – a good call by trail official Walsh – after which his Tigers teammate Seth Miller made two huge defensive efforts against Sparks and Ibanez.
It was heady stuff leading into the break, as Tarei launched a trey for 26-22. Riini then scored, Holden Wilson made a floater on the move and Tarei made a jumpshot that was identical to his first, for 31-24.
Kerisome hit a 30-foot shot right side of the court for the Cheetahs 27, Tigers 31, Wilson soon after saved the ball in-court for Ria and, with the Tigers up 33-27, Pivac-Solomon gave a sharp assist to Ibanez on an inbounds play.
In the third quarter, Walters found Riini open to shoot a trey on the left side of the floor for the Cheetahs 34, Tigers 40, and Seb Wilson took the double-team to task, going over them with a jump-hook and later splitting them to score.
Kepa stepped up with big baskets in the second half. With 28.9 seconds left to play, the score was 59-all.
With 13.5 seconds left, Riini made the first of two foul-shots for 60-59 and Tarei fouled out.
The game’s last act – Dom Wilson making both free-throws with time up – spared the hearts, minds, nerves and knees-like-jelly of both teams from overtime. With that prospect looming, the Tigers had only five players and the Cheetahs had two players on four fouls apiece.
Sparks’s Lions beat Russell’s Jaguars 67-61 in the playoff for third and fourth. Outstanding left-hander Ethan Ngarangione-Pearson was dominant with 24 points and led all Draft League scorers on finals night.
Rising Suns head coach and basketball life member Frank Russell said: “We played well against Sparksy’s team, considering that three of our regular starters – Paora Dewes, Weighn Wilson and Zade Donner – were unavailable, so full credit to Keenan Ruru-Poharama, who was called in to play for us at the last moment.
“Ethan was the difference between the two teams: he is a true scorer.
“The only question I have as a coach at the end of any game is, did we play hard, smart and work.
“As I've said previously, I’m impressed with the ball-handling and three-point shooting of my former Gisborne Boys’ High School players, but I’ll continue to make them accountable with transition and help defence. They need to show more patience when running half-court offence (their running game is excellent), and improve at getting the ball inside to their big men.
“On that last point – in the final, of which I saw only the first half – the Tigers’ Seb Wilson didn’t see the ball enough in the low-post. Getting the right passing angle and feeding the post is a true art form.”
Adrian Sparks – like Russell, a former president of the GBA – said: “Our Lions boys showed glimpses of their true potential in a league whose purpose was to take good players and make them good team players. They’ve enjoyed having coaches and good referees.
“In that regard, Ethan, who’s relocating to Australia shortly, has been a treasure for us in the past four years. He’s been a huge help in terms of raising the standard of local basketball, both as a referee and as a player.”
The GBA’s next development focus is the Maori National Tournament to be held at Rotorua’s Energy Stadium from January 22 to 27.
