Last weekend, Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) hosted three 3×3 Qualifying tournaments around Aotearoa to select the 12 boys and 12 girls teams that will attend the 3×3 National Championships in Wellington next month.
Here’s a recap of everything you need to know about who’s qualified and who took out their grades.
Qualifiers
Northern
The Northern Qualifiers saw six teams from both the Boys and the Girls Qualifying grades battle out seeding and spot placement for Nationals.
Mount Albert Grammar, Pukekohe High, Rotorua Boys and Aquinas College all snatched up spots for the Boys after making their way through to the Semi-Finals, while Rosmini and St John’s had to overcome a 5-8th Place Semi-final to seek entry with the last two remaining spots.
Rotorua Boys came out on top, winning 21-11 in their Grand Final against Pukekohe High, while Aquinas came away with third place against Mount Albert Grammar.
Within the Girls grade, the contests were much closer, with Tauranga, Hamilton Girls, St Peter’s and Te Koutu all securing their place at Nationals with progress through to the Semi-finals. Aquinas and Takapuna made their way to the last two remaining Northern Qualifier spots after taking out their 5-8th Place Semi-finals games.
St Peter’s and Hamilton Girls engaged in a classic rivalry game, with St Peter’s edging home with a 12-10 victory. Te Koutu also managed to finish the competition in 3rd place, beating Tauranga.
Central
Lower Hutt played host to four days of 3×3 Basketball action, with three spots to the 3×3 National Championships up for grabs in the Boys and the Girls divisions.
Palmerston North Boys, Napier Boys and Hutt International Boys’ all made the cut in the Boys division. Napier proved to be too strong for their Palmerston North rivals and took out first place with a 14-12 win. Hutt International also cruised through with a 15-11 win over Paraparaumu.
In the Girls division, Hastings Girls, Queen Margaret and Wellington East all made it through, with the requirements being to come no less than 3rd Place. Queen Margaret narrowly defeated Wellington East 9-7 to take out first place, while Hastings Girls made their trip down to Wellington worthwhile, finishing 3rd.
Southern
Ashburton was a similar set-up to Central, with three spots in the 3×3 National Championships going for both the Boys and the Girls.
St Thomas, Rolleston and Otago Boys came no less than 3rd Place, qualifying them for Nationals in the process. St Thomas came out on top against Otago Boys 18-15, while Rolleston took 3rd place with a solid 12-5 win over Waitaki Boys.
Finishing Top 2 was the only way to automatically qualify in the Girls division, with St Andrew’s, Rangiora High doing just that. Kaiapoi High and Christchurch Girls needed to survive another game if they wanted to make it through to the Semi-Finals. Ashburton and Cashmere couldn’t quite pull off an upset in their preliminary Semi-Finals, allowing Kaiapoi and Christchurch Girls to make their way comfortably to a deciding game, in which Kaiapoi would win.
St Andrew’s College finished first with a strong performance in a 12-6 win over Kaiapoi High. Rangiora finished third in their last matchup.
3×3 Nationals 2024 Girls Qualifying Teams
| Northern | Central | Southern | |
| 1st | St Peter’s Cambridge | Queen Margaret College | St Andrew’s |
| 2nd | Hamilton Girls | Wellington East Girls | Kaiapoi High |
| 3rd | Te Koutu | Hastings Girls High | Rangiora High |
| 4th | Tauranga Girls | ||
| 5th | Takapuna Grammar | ||
| 6th | Aquinas College |
3×3 Nationals 2024 Boys Qualifying Teams
| Northern | Central | Southern | |
| 1st | Rotorua Boys | Napier Boys High | St Thomas |
| 2nd | Pukekohe High | Palmerston North Boys High | Otago Boys High |
| 3rd | Aquinas College | Hutt International Boys | Rolleston College |
| 4th | Mount Albert Grammar | ||
| 5th | Rosmini College | ||
| 6th | St John’s |
All results can be found here
This year’s 3×3 Secondary Schools Nationals for 2024 will take place at Wellington’s Ākau Tangi Sports Centre from the 13–14 April. Two show courts will be live streamed over the two days, with free entry for anyone planning to make the trip into the Capital to watch the event.
More information including the draw and broadcast schedules can be found at our website closer to the competition.
Non-Qualifiers
| Northern Non-Qualifier Boys | Central Non-Qualifier Boys | Northern Non-Qualifier Girls | |
| 1st | Aorere College | Napier Boys High School [B] | Westlake Girls |
| 2nd | Westlake Green | Aotea College | Carmel College |
| 3rd | Glendowie College | Rongotai College B | Te Koutu Teina |
| 4th | Macleans College | Palmerston North Boys High B | Kelston Girls SGO |
| 5th | Mount Albert Grammar [B] | Wellington High School | Takapuna Grammar [B] |
| 6th | TKMM Hurunga | Hastings Boys High School | Long Bay College |
All results can be found here
Inclusive Division
BBNZ’s 3×3 Southern Qualifiers made history with its first-ever Inclusive Division. Athletes with disabilities were able to compete alongside their peers in a supportive environment, fostering a love for basketball for all.
Six teams participated, including the Pītau-Allenvale All Stars, coached by their Deputy Principal and former Tall Black Ed Book. This marked a significant step towards inclusion, with Book’s involvement helping to inspire the young players involved.
Photo provided by Ed Book
Article photo credit: Roshysportfolio
