On Sunday, August 4th, the HBHS Senior Premier Basketball team hit the road to Palmerston North for the Super 8 2024 Basketball Tournament.

On Sunday, August 4th, the HBHS Senior Premiere Basketball Team hit the road to Palmerston North for the Super 8 2024 Basketball Tournament. Competing in POOL B against Rotorua, Palmerston North, Gisborne, and Hamilton, the team delivered some epic performances.

Game 1: Victory Over Palmerston North

The tournament kicked off with a bang as HBHS defeated Palmerston North 84-65. Te Tatau Strother was on fire, scoring 25 points and leading the team to victory.

Game 2: Tough Battle Against Rotorua

In Game 2, the boys put up a great fight but fell short against Rotorua, losing 93-62. Despite the loss, Mason Wiltshire shone brightly with an impressive 21 points.

Game 3: Dominating Gisborne

The team bounced back in Game 3, crushing Gisborne 104-40. The Parai brothers, Cullen and Wakatiwai, stole the show with Cullen scoring 29 points and Wakatiwai adding 15.

Semi-Final: Heartbreaker vs Napier

Finishing second in Pool B set up a thrilling semi-final against eventual tournament winners Napier. Leading most of the game, HBHS faced a nail-biting finish when Napier hit three clutch three-pointers, forcing overtime at 72-72. Despite a valiant effort, the boys lost 85-76 in OT. A great team effort from all the team with standout performances from Te Tatau and Hemi Neale  scoring 25 and 20 points, respectively. Big shoutout to our defensive stars Matthew Niwa, Daniel Ormsby, and Mason Wiltshire for their relentless effort.

Game 5: Close Contest with New Plymouth

In the battle for 3rd place, HBHS faced New Plymouth in a back-and-forth thriller. Down by 11 points in the last minute, Te Tatau and Hemi hit two huge three-pointers each, closing the gap to 5 points. Despite their comeback, New Plymouth held on to win by 5 points.

Looking Ahead

A massive shoutout to all the players and coaching staff for an awesome 2024 Super 8 campaign. Congratulations to Te Tatau being named second year running to the Super 8 tournament team. The boys will continue their journey in the local Waikato competition and are gearing up for the Zone 2 Regional Qualifiers in Rotorua. With Nationals in October on the horizon, we wish them the best of luck - POHO KERERŪ ANA (stand proud and full of pride).