Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate / Sport

Brave Suns panic unbeaten leaders

Northern Advocate
3 Oct, 2011 03:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Northland Suns faced their toughest opposition yet in the Super City Basketball Competition when they met an unbeaten Waitakere West Auckland outfit at Breakers Stadium.

Waitakere remained without loss and at the top of the ladder a week out from the first round of playoffs with Saturday's 118-74 win over the Suns, but appeared to panic at times throughout the first half against the league's cellar dwellers.

Coach Tania Sateine said the Suns played an impressive first two quarters, hitting the court with passion and intensity, startling the West Auckland side who had thrashed their fellow league teams this season by an average of 60 points.

"We stuck to our game plan and stayed close to them. At one stage we were only six points behind - that would be the closest any team has got to this side," Sateine said.

Waitakere fought back in the second half, by running the Suns ragged and applying a full-court press.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Our game plan began to come unstuck and we were not doing the basics ... we did some really good things in the first half but we were unable to maintain that for four quarters," the coach said.

"The Suns were efficient defensively, but let themselves down on their offence and with shot selection. The other teams in the competition are all good shooting teams, so it is an area the Suns are aware they need to improve on.

"Also our big guys need to be more dominant inside. The good thing is the boys are all willing to work at improving our game."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rather than getting disheartened by setbacks experienced this year, players were more dedicated to the team, Sateine said.

Last month, head coach Ron Cronshaw left the team unexpectedly and after his departure, Sateine took over the head coaching role.

"Having your coach leave halfway through the league is a big distraction and it was difficult for me to pick up the role, especially when you have two different styles of coaching," she added.

"But I'm definitely enjoying the role and the boys, and being able to take them to the level we want to attain," she added. Keegan Saddler had an excellent game for the Suns on Saturday, both offensively and defensively. Harlyn Clunie, coming off the bench, really stepped up for his team, while Travis McIlroy also had a solid game.

Next weekend the Suns will play in the first round of playoffs..

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Sport

Northland teen aims for American football glory despite not playing the sport

04 Dec 12:03 AM
Premium
Northern Advocate

Condor Sevens: The unlikely high school champions nobody saw coming

02 Dec 02:55 AM
Northern Advocate

From cricket to the fairway: Northland trio unofficially claim unique world record

25 Nov 01:00 AM

Sponsored

The Bay’s secret advantage

07 Dec 09:54 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Northland teen aims for American football glory despite not playing the sport
Sport

Northland teen aims for American football glory despite not playing the sport

Nikau Hepi has signed a scholarship to play at Florida State University.

04 Dec 12:03 AM
Premium
Premium
Condor Sevens: The unlikely high school champions nobody saw coming
Northern Advocate

Condor Sevens: The unlikely high school champions nobody saw coming

02 Dec 02:55 AM
From cricket to the fairway: Northland trio unofficially claim unique world record
Northern Advocate

From cricket to the fairway: Northland trio unofficially claim unique world record

25 Nov 01:00 AM


The Bay’s secret advantage
Sponsored

The Bay’s secret advantage

07 Dec 09:54 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP