Chur Ngati lifted their game when the stakes could not have been higher.
With a crowd of 200 at the YMCA on Monday night, the seven-times champions beat a game and gutsy Spark Plugs crew 60-52 in a fiery Gisborne Basketball Association Ladies’ League final.
Chur Ngati, who began their campaign on August 5 with a 60-32 victory against Ūawa, got the better of the Spark Plugs 53-39 in week 5 and overcame Gisborne Girls’ High School 46-27 in the 1 v 4 semifinal.
The Plugs kicked off with a 44-20 win over Bubble Guppies en route to a four-win streak and were superb in their 49-34 semifinal win against Ūawa heading into the showpiece.
Under Tiara Weir, Chur Ngatai led 17-12, 33-25, 39-37 at each break in the final, but the underdogs did not freeze in the headlights or surrender meekly. The Adrian Sparks-coached Plugs gave Chur Ngatai a closer run for their money than anyone else had in the previous seven weeks.
The opening quarter saw eagle-eyed GBA referee Donna Brown-Nepia nab Weir for progress in her side’s first possession of the game.
Chur Ngatai’s Ata Mangu made the first big play of the game left with a contorted reverse lay-up with opposition captain Petra Sparks in the small of her back.
A Sparks three-point shot from the right corner tied the scores at 3-3.
Chur Ngati stand-out O’Shae Rangihaeata hit an eight-metre effort for 15-8 and Plugs quiet achiever Kellann Kemp made a three-point play at the expense of Maia Rickard to reduce their deficit to four.
Ever-improving Jasmine Sparks made one of the plays of the night with a wicked crossover dribble and lay-up to move the Plugs to within two points.
Multi-talented Rickard responded with a three-pointer for Chur Ngatai, but Petra Sparks completed a three-point play to keep her side in touch at 23-19.
Peyton Riri, who had earlier made a classic driving left-hand lay-up, found Jasmine Sparks on the run with a wicked cross-court pass which she converted past Chur Ngati titan Bronya McMenamin to put Plugs 31-25 behind.
The refereeing standard held firm throughout. Lead official Felix Sparks called a foul on older sister Petra in the first quarter and Brown-Nepia nabbed former Otago Goldrush guard Jeannie Pattison for a double dribble early in the third.
The Plugs were eight points behind at the halfway stage but hard and resilient defence started to pay dividends in the third quarter. A two-player trap on the right sideline at halfway forced a turnover from Rickard, the result of which was a lay-up far side by Pattison.
On that field goal, the younger Plugs went into the fourth period 39-37 down. It was all on.
Chur Ngatai advanced their lead early on but Pattison reeled them in with a trey to cut it to five as the tempo picked up at the business end.
Through it all, McMenamin showed amazing restraint as Plugs’ defensive players attempted to smother her.
Chur Ngatai looked in control when Rangihaeata — who led all scorers in the final with 23 points — made the play of the game to put her side 54-41 ahead. Left side of the front court, she swung and hurled a phenomenal pass the way of Ata Mangu, who beat three defenders back from the far side to score.
But the Plugs weren’t about to lie down and they fought back to set up the prospect of a grandstand finish.
An unsportsmanlike foul added to the spice while Riri three-pointers from the left wing and left corner, followed by a 10-metre bomb from Petra Sparks, made it a six-point game.
But Chur Ngati hung firm for the victory to reclaim the No 1 mantle after losing to Horouta last year.
It was their eighth title in 11 years.
Spark Plugs coach Adrian Sparks was full of praise for his side and the competition in general.
“The women’s league was a wonderful competition with some great talent from the Bubble Guppies, veterans from Chur Ngati, Ūawa and Ice Cold stepping up and a young Gisborne Girls’ High team.”
His side went from strength to strength, their skill level improved and, importantly, their enjoyment of the game was heightened through the experience, he said.
He tipped his hat to the Chur Ngati machine, which he said had been strengthened even more by the flair of Rangihaeata.
McMenamin, a 10-year veteran of the Ngāti Porou team who evolved into Chur Ngati, said: “I’ve seen the Spark Plugs shoot the ball even better than they did in that final, but they made up for that with full-court pressure defence.
“I think it came down to the trust we had in our players. Letting the ball go early and long on the fast break, even with the score being close, was a testament to our connections. Also, for our girls, a bit of mongrel kicked in when we realised how close it was.
“Everyone knuckled down.”
Chur Ngati 60 (O’Shae Rangihaeata 23, Maia Rickard 14, Ata Mangu 10, Bronya McMenamin 7, Tiara Weir 6) Spark Plugs 52 (Petra Sparks 17, Jeannie Paterson 11, Jasmine Sparks 10, Peyton Riri 9). Q1 Chur Ngati 17-12, HT 33-25, Q3 39-37.