Basketball: Six-win bonanza for Otago Goldrush

If there had been any doubt before the weekend, it is now well and truly gone - the Otago Goldrush is a legitimate title contender.

Six wins from as many matches in Christchurch in the past three days has qualified the side for the top six playoffs in Porirua next month with a 10 1 record.

The Waikato Wizards, who pipped the Goldrush 65 63 in the first tournament in Auckland last month, also finished with a 10 1 record and could be the only side capable of stopping the Goldrush's bid for a national title.

Otago coach Todd Marshall credited the team's ''fantastic'' defence and an improving offence for a dominant few days in the Garden City.

''We were definitely playing really good team defence. And the way we are pushing the ball down the floor as a team has also been great,'' he said.

''We have done all we can in the first part of the tournament, and now we've just got to back it up in the finals weekend. There's a whole group of teams that are tough, but we've given ourselves a great opportunity.''

Otago flexed its muscles in the first game of the tournament on Friday morning, comfortably beating the defending champion Harbour Breeze (7 4) by 12 points.

It then blitzed the youthful Tauranga City Coasters (1 10) 93 31, sending a strong message to the other sides.

Only Auckland Counties Manukau Lady Hawks (6 5) really pushed the Goldrush, coming within five points in a closely fought match.

Tall Ferns forwards Samara Gallaher and Jillian Harmon were the difference, each connecting on seven of 15 shots from the field on their way to 17 points apiece.

Harmon also dominated the glass, amassing 15 rebounds on her way to a double double.

While that was impressive, it was overshadowed by the 23 rebounds she added in a comprehensive 45 27 win against the Nelson Sparks (8 3) in the final game of the weekend yesterday.

The Sparks were expected to push the Goldrush, but landed just nine of 65 attempts from the field in a woeful shooting display.

Guard Anita Snowdon had a breakout performance in a 71 43 trouncing of Waitakere (3 8), drilling seven of her 10 attempts from beyond the arc in a 24 point haul.

Gallaher, who scored 79 points in the tournament, was immense in her surprise return to the side.

However, ''at this stage'' she would not be available for the final series starting June 4, due to commitments to the Hume City Broncos in the Big V competition in Melbourne, Marshall said.

''But that's all right, we're quite happy. We know what we have got. All the girls got good court time and did a good job for us.''

Otago's 10 strong squad came through the punishing schedule with no more than a ''few sore legs and bruises''.

Marshall has given the squad a few days off to ''freshen the legs up''. The team will then train three or four times a week before the finals weekend and a shot at a national title.


Women's Basketball Championship
Tournament two, Christchurch

Otago Goldrush 75, Harbour Breeze 63; Otago Goldrush 93, Tauranga City Coasters 31; Otago Goldrush 64, Auckland Counties Manukau Lady Hawks 59; Otago Goldrush 69, Capital Flyers 48; Otago Goldrush 71, Waitakere Lady Rangers 43; Otago Goldrush 45, Nelson Sparks 27.


 

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