Basketball: Bullish about chances

Otago Goldrush point guard Janet Main: ''I think if we just play our game and play as we can then...
Otago Goldrush point guard Janet Main: ''I think if we just play our game and play as we can then we should beat every team, but every team will be challenging.'' PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH
Janet Main is well placed to assess Otago's prospects of returning from Wellington this weekend with its first title since 2011.

And she reckons they are pretty good.

Described as the ''heart and soul'' of the team by Goldrush coach Todd Marshall, the 25-year-old point guard had her debut season in 2005, when the side was still called the Otago Breakers.

She was part of the championship-winning team in 2011 which featured a raft of talented players, including Casey Lockwood, Suzie Bates and Samara Gallaher, and a pair better known for their netball ability in Daneka Wipiiti and Jodi Brown.

But while that line-up had more individual talent, Main feels the class of 2015 has something special going as well.

''That was a very strong team and a great year,'' she said.

''It was such a good feeling getting that win in the final, but we haven't done it since.

''We've sort of been building up. We lost a lot of those players after that year and have been close and just lost semis.

''Last year we didn't finish up as well as we would haveliked, but it was a building block and we're looking good this year.''

The Goldrush has won 10 of its 11 games this season, with its only loss coming against the highly-rated Waikato side, which drilled a buzzer-beater to seal a 65-63 victory.

That kind of winning run does wonders for theconfidence levels, but the camp received a further boost late last month with news Tall Fern Gallaher would be available.

With her Melbourne team, the Hume City Broncos, enjoying a weekend off, Gallaher is free to join the Goldrush for the final tournament of the Women's Basketball Championship which gets under way in Porirua today.

Gallaher missed the first tournament, but helped the Goldrush win six straight during the second tournament in Christchurch last month.

The other slice of good fortune happened when Tall Fern Jillian Harmon decided to follow partner Todd Blanchfield to Invercargill.

He signed with the Southland Sharks and Harmon signed with the Goldrush and has been instrumental in helping the team qualify for the top six.

She averages 10.6 rebounds and 14.1 points, which makes her one of the most valuable players in the championship.

The Goldrush has been drawn in section B with the Canterbury Wildcats and the Auckland-Counties Manukau Lady Hawks, and plays both sides today.

Two wins will guarantee the Goldrush a spot in the semifinals tomorrow, but one win might be enough. The final will be staged on Saturday and Main is hopeful she will be playing in it.

Both the Wildcats and the Lady Hawks ran the Goldrush close and will be tough opponents.

''I think if we just play our game and play as we can then we should beat every team, but every team will be challenging. There are no easy games.''

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