BASKETBALL - Tikipunga find winning formula

Facing adults in weekly games has proved a winning formula for the Tikipunga High School senior boys basketball team.
Last week the team won the Northland Secondary Schools Basketball competition at Kensington after a convincing win against Whangarei Boys' High School. They had fine-tuned their game against adult players throughout the season at the Whangarei winter league basketball held on Wednesday nights.
Head of Sport Jason Woods says facing up to the stiffer adult competition has given the boys both physical and psychological advantages over their opposition.
"Because they are used to playing men, it has made them tougher on the court, this really did come through in their final game against Whangarei Boys' High School," he said.
Kane Rudolph, a point guard with the team, agrees that it has been beneficial to practise with adults.
"All their players are bigger and heavier than our players, when we face other teams now, we tend to not back down, we're also not afraid to challenge," Rudolph said.
Kane sees the team's greatest area of improvement as being in terms of team play.
"What we have now is much improved co-ordination between players."
He credits this largely to their coach Mr Woods ability to talk things through with them.
It seems the process of turning boys into men is as much due to communication as it is to facing them.
• From left: Toryan Foster, Kieron Wihongi-Henare, Riccardo Tuimavave, Sintel Causer, Himi Johnson, Jarom Wihongi-Henare, Hemi Cooper, Tamati Ratapu, Jason Woods (coach); Front, Kane Rudolph, Dallas Pearce.