Basketball New Zealand’s (BBNZ) NZ Pro 3×3 Quest made its way back to Christchurch last week and delivered two days of exciting basketball action.
Day 1 Recap
In the Men’s, it was Kahurangi – which features a lineup of Tyler Herbert, Daniel Powell and Logan Woodill – were the winners after only dropping one game. Losing 15-11, they needed to win their remaining game to qualify for the Playoffs. Facing a narrow Semi-Final victory, they got the job done, winning 19-15 against Kōwhai.
For the Women’s, Manuka Pango – with Lauryn Hippolite, Esra McGoldrick and Rosalia Samia – remained unbeaten throughout the day, with the only close game being their Grand Final against Puawai Pango, which came down to a single point. Manuka Pango took their chances and came up with a 11-10 win.
Day 2 Recap
The Men’s division on Sunday saw Rimu – who had a lineup of Tanae Lavery, Ben Hall, Benji Freeman and Simon Lafaele – came to play, winning all five of their games for the day, including the Grand Final against Kahurangi. Rimu stood tall and finished the game off with a two pointer to give them a 22-12 victory.
In the Women’s division, Manuka Pango for a second day remained undefeated. Adding Tsubasa Nisbet to their roster in place of Samia, they proved too much for the other teams. While some close games were had in pool play, experience and skill managed to get them over the line. Manuka Pango would take on Manuka Ma in the Grand Final, and came out victorious with a scoreline of 17-8.
The MVPs from the weekend were Tyler Herbert (Men’s Division) and Lauryn Hippolite (Women’s Division).
BBNZ 3×3 Programme Manager, Nikolay Mikhalchuk says that the past weekend’s competition showed an impressive display of skill, especially in the Women’s Division.
“Despite having fewer teams in the Women’s Division, the quality of play was remarkable, with players such as Lauryn Hippolite, Esra McGoldrick, Tsubasa Nisbet, and Rosalia Samia showcasing significant improvements since the last stops.
In the Men’s Division, the emergence of up-and-coming players Daniel Powell and Tyler Herbert was a pleasant surprise, with their passion and devotion to the 3×3 game helping them to upset some of the stronger teams on their way to the finals.”
Mikhalchuk also noted the increase in participation of 3×3 as a sport in High School as per the newest Secondary School Census released on Monday.
“With a 25% increase in participation from last year, 3×3 is on the rise and will continue to become a pathway to experience fantastic places and compete in the most prestigious of events such as the Olympics. The more our young and aspiring 3×3 athletes play, the better chances we get to have New Zealand at the pinnacle FIBA 3×3 age group events”
Next Stop
The next NZ Pro 3×3 Quest will take place at Pulman Arena, Auckland from the 18th February till the 19th February. For details on future NZ Pro 3×3 Quest events, visit the Basketball NZ Events page at https://nz.basketball/whats-on/
NZ Pro 3×3 Quest schedule (2023):
Feb 18-19 | Pulman Arena, Auckland
Feb 25-26 | Cowles Stadium, Christchurch
Mar 11-12 | TBC, Auckland
