Queens beat odds to take inaugural title
A fantastic showing from Florencia Chagas proved influential as the Tokomanawa Queens created Tauihi basketball history.
The 21-year-old Argentine point guard was outstanding in yesterday’s grand final with the Queens beating the topseeded Northern Kā hu 71-62 to take out the new women’s basketball competition.
Chagas delivered a brilliant display at Nelson’s Trafalgar Centre, netting a game-high 22 points on 8-16 shooting to go with six rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Tall Fern Stella Beck, who did it all in the semifinal win over the Mainland Pouā kai, was excellent again with 11 points, seven boards, five steals, and two assists for the Queens.
The Wellington-Manawatā based Queens entered the grand final on a six-game winning run and the only side in the competition to beat the table-topping Kā hu this season, doing so twice.
Crucial to the Queens’ final win was the defensive job they did on Kā hu Australian guard Tahlia Tupaea, the MVP of the first Tauihi season – limiting her to 12 points on 5/17 shooting. Tupaea battled an elbow injury in the final.
There were no shortage of
lead changes in the first half with one team making a minirun, then the other responding.
The Queens went into halftime with a 35-33 edge.
Leading by 13 at the end of the third quarter (54-41), a 4-0 start to the final term had the Queens rolling, up by 17.
The Kā hu refused to go away, but every time they clawed their way back, the classy Queens responded at the other end.
With two minutes left, the Kā hu were very much alive, trailing by seven points. But Queens youngster Parris Mason, who also plays netball for the Central Pulse, cemented the title win, driving to the hoop for a critical late basket.