Basketball: Scrapping way to go

Whatever happens, Otago will keep battling - it worked last time.

The Goldrush (7-1) is hosting the undefeated Canterbury Wildcats (8-0) in a Women's Basketball Championship match at the Edgar Centre tomorrow at noon.

The teams met in a friendly late last month and the Goldrush trailed for most of the game but eventually won 72-70 in overtime.

"We just kept battling,'' Otago coach Todd Marshall said.

"We played some good ‘D' and gave ourselves a chance to win it, which we managed to do.

"That is what we do best, really. We have to try to scrap our way into a game against a team like this. Their size could cause us real problems, so we've just got to battle.''

Canterbury boasts a formidable line-up.

Talented guard Shea Crotty leads a skilful backcourt which includes Anita Snowdon, Courtney Hamblin and Hayley Gray.

American import Ashley Gayle is a rebounding powerhouse and has good support in Fran Edmondson and Terai Sadler.

Otago, however, will be without key forward Natalie Visger.

She has been ruled out with a calf tear, while Goldrush captain Janet Main and guard Nicole Ruske arrive home from the Junior Tall Ferns tour of China today and may be a bit dusty with jet-leg.

Main, the physiotherapist for the Junior Tall Ferns, scored 21 points in the friendly against Canterbury and is the heart and soul of the team.

Small forward Bronwyn Kjestrup chimed in with 18 points and will be an important cog in the Otago line-up.

The result is not terribly important, though.

Both teams have already secured a place in the finals which will be staged in Porirua next month.

That said, it is still Otago versus Canterbury and that is motivation enough.

It is also the last competitive hit-out for Otago and "an excellent opportunity to test ourselves prior to finals weekend in Porirua'' Marshall said.

The winner will top the WBC round robin and secure a more favourable draw for the finals.

If Canterbury loses, it would finish second. If Otago loses, it will slip to third.

The match is free entry but Basketball Otago will be selling raffle tickets to raise funds for the Hickford family.

Basketball Otago board member and Dunedin school principal Craig Hickford was critically injured in a cycling accident in February.

Hickford is out of intensive care but faces a long recovery.

"We are just trying to do what we can for the family,'' Basketball Otago general manager Justin Ludlow said.

"Craig has been heavily involved with Basketball Otago in his role as a board member and has coached the Wildcats as well.''

 


 

WBC
Otago team

Janet Main, Bronwyn Kjestrup, Natalie Smith, Claudia Flaws, Aleisha Ruske, Nicole Ruske, Grace Love, Kelly Groot, Danielle Frost, Olivia O'Neill, Amy Waqauai, Soraya Umaga-Jensen. 


 

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