Pool Play is complete on the Men’s side of the draw at the Foot Locker U20 Nationals at Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua.
We’ve already found out our four quarter-finalists, and four play-in games will determine the other four in the coming hours.
Here’s your wrap up of who’s through, and where to next for all 16 teams at Nationals.
Pool A (Canterbury, Harbour, Porirua, Waikato Country)
Canterbury: 3-0 (W v POR 114-68, W v HAR 117-87, W v WCO 135-70)
Top scorers: Mana Martin (33.3 PPG), Milan Newton (17.7 PPG)
Canterbury have been very impressive over the course of pool play, with their big match up against a talented Harbour squad being one of the best of Day One. Mana Martin exploded against Harbour in the one for a big 40 points.
Canterbury were without a couple of their Canterbury Rams players for the second half of their day two clash with Waikato Country, however, Mana Martin stepped up to the plate again with a big 38 points to see his squad finish top of the pile in Pool A.
They earn a rest for the remainder of Day Two, and head straight through to tomorrow’s quarter-finals.
Harbour: 2-1 (W v WCO 113-56, L v CAN 87-117, W v POR 94-81)
Top sccorers: Mattie Dalton (18.7 PPG), Cooper Lepou (15.0 PPG)
Harbour comfortably head through to the qualifying finals in the second place position in Pool A.
Their win against Porirua this morning sealing their spot in second, behind 15 each from Mattie Dalton and Nick Bamford in a 94 – 81 win.
They’ll take on Hutt Valley in this afternoon’s quarter final qualifier.
Waikato Country: 1-2 (L v HAR 56-113, W v POR 82-71, L v CAN 70-135)
Top scorers: Bronson Curtis (20.7 PPG), Hozay Tito-Haitana (17.3 PPG)
Their crucial win against host association, Porirua, on day one was definitive in Waikato Country’s third place finish in the pool.
They’ll face a tough opponent in the quarter-final play-in this afternoon when they cross-over with Taranaki.
Porirua: 0-3 (L v CAN 68-114, L v WCO 71-82, L v HAR 81-94)
Top scorers: Isaiah Collins (22.7 PPG), Lui To’omaga Tapuai (19.3 PPG)
Porirua came close to moving through to the play-ins yesterday afternoon in their game against Waikato Country, in a reasonably tight 71-82 loss.
They’ll head to the bottom half of the draw, and fight for places 9-16.
Pool B (Counties Manukau, Hutt Valley, Taranaki, Waitākere West)
Waitākere West: 3-0 (W v COU 87-71, W v HUT 88-70, W v TAR 89-86)
Top scorers: Kingston Kailahi-Aso (23.0 PPG), Hunter Te Ratana (21.7 PPG)
Waitākere West have been ably led by Hunter Te Ratana and Kingston Kailahi-Aso who have combined to average a whopping 44.0 points per game through pool play.
Waitākere breezed through Day One with comfortable wins of Counties Manukau and Hutt Valley, and were able to get the job done against a dangerous Taranaki side this morning.
Thanks to their unbeaten run, they secure a direct spot into tomorrow’s quarter finals.
Taranaki: 2-1 (W v HUT 90-71, W v COU 77-73, L v WTK 89-86)
Top sccorers: Jordan Cooper & Jerome Tamatea (21.7 PPG)
Both Waitākere and Taranaki locked in a top two spot in Pool B on day one, so their game this morning was just to see who would earn the right to that ever so valuable rest for the rest of day two.
Unfortunately for Taranaki, they were just pipped at the post by Waitākere West this morning and will take on Waikato Country in this afternoon’s play-in game.
No doubt they’ll look towards leading scorer, Jordan Cooper to provide more buckets and a much needed boost in that one to secure their quarter-final spot.
Hutt Valley: 1-2 (L v TAR 71-90, L v WTK 70-88)
Top scorers: Cooper Bouchereau (19.7 PPG), Boston Perez-Peleti (17.0 PPG)
Hutt Valley clinched a play-in spot with a win this morning against Counties Manukau, and will face off against a tough Harbour team in this afternoon’s play-in qualifier.
Counties Manukau: 0-3 (L v WTK 71-87, L v TAR 73-77, L v HUTT 79-81)
Top scorers: Donovan Reckling (18.7 PPG), Chisom Ochibulu (12.3 PPG)
Unfortunately for the Counties lads, a tight 79-81 loss against Hutt Valley this morning mean they’ll be playing for the 9-16 spots tomorrow.
Pool C (Auckland, Franklin, Te Aroha, Wellington)
Franklin: 3-0 (W v TEA 86-82, W v AKL 86-60, W v WEL 78-65)
Top scorers: Harry Kelso (17.3 PPG), Jaxyn Bell (15.3 PPG)
This was always shaping up to be an incredibly tight pool, and Franklin have done well to get out of this has the first seed in Pool C.
A tight four-point victory over Te Aroha, followed up by their convincing 26-point win over Auckland meant a win against Wellington on Day Two would secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
And win they did, as Jaxyn Bell led them to a 78 – 65 victory, now awaiting this afternoon’s play-in games to see who they’ll take on tomorrow in QF3.
Te Aroha: 2-1 (L v FKL 82-86, W v WEL 95-91, W v AKL 101-82)
Top scorers: Ryder Morgan (23.3 PPG), Ky-Mani Kaumoana (19.3 PPG)
Te Aroha are battle hardened, with close fixtures throughout pool play.
They’re a team who work together well, despite Ryder Morgan and Ky-Mani Kaumoana shouldering a lot of the offensive load.
Their play-in qualifier against Hawke’s Bay should be one to look out for!
Wellington: 1-2 (W v AKL 105-83, L v TEA 91-95, L v FKL 65-78)
Top sccorers: Mercury Nonu (22.0 PPG), Dov Silberstein (15.7 PPG)
Wellington qualify for the play-in game courtesy of their day one win against Auckland.
They take on Otago at 7:30pm today.
Auckland: 0-3 (L v WLG 83-105, L v FKL 60-86, L v TEA 82-101)
Top scorers: Cameron Stewart (19.3 PPG), Harlyn King (16.0 PPG)
This Auckland squad is reasonably young, and fought hard throughout pool play, looking good in spurts. However, their efforts weren’t quite enough to see them through to the play-in games.
They’ll come back on D3 and play for positions 9-16.
Pool D (Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, Otago, Summer)
Nelson: 3-0 (W v HB 91-59, W v WAI 113-64, W v OTA 77-68)
Top scorers: Hayden Jones (35.7 PPG), Elijah Inwood (12.0 PPG)
An incredible 48 point performance by Hayden Jones last night against Waikato secured Nelson’s top two finish in the pool, and this morning they faced their toughest task against a strong Otago squad, in which they won off the back of xyz from xyz.
The win against Otago means they will now head straight through to the quarter finals on the Day Three of the action at Te Rauparaha Arena.
Otago: 2-1 (W v WAI 94-63, W v HB 79-62, L v NEL 68-77)
Top sccorers: Oak Chisholm (21.7 PPG), Toby Hunt (19.3 PPG)
Two solid wins on day one for the strong Otago squad saw them lock up a top two pool spot on D1 of action.
Their game today against Nelson would be to decide who would go straight through to the quarters, and who would play off in the eliminator.
Unfortunately for the men from the South, that’ll be them as they take on Wellington in the play-in qualifier later this evening.
Hawke’s Bay 1-2 (L v NEL 59-91, L v OTA 62-79, W v WAI 88-75)
Top scorers: Isaac Allan (19.0 PPG), Harry Keighley (13.3 PPG)
It was a tough day one for Hawke’s Bay, but they’ll qualify for the play-in as the third place team in Pool D.
Their win this morning over Waikato crucial in securing this spot, where they will face the tough task of taking on the men from just over the Gorge, Wellington, for a spot in the quarter-finals.
Waikato: 0-3 (L v OTA 69-94, L v NEL 64-113, L v HB 75-88)
Top scorers: Bryson Herewini (17.5 PPG), Korbyn Leonard (14.5 PPG)
Waikato had a pretty tough ask playing two of the best teams at the tournament on day one, and unfortunately couldn’t muster up a win.
They’ll head to the 9-16 bracket and play off for those spots.
Play-in qualifiers:
PLQF1
Harbour v Hutt Valley
Court 1
4:30pm
PLQF2
Taranaki v Waikato Country
Court 2
4:30pm
PLQF3
Te Aroha v Hawke’s Bay
Court 1
7:30pm
PLQF4
Otago v Wellington
Court 2
7:30pm
