When the Otago Goldrush sticks to its defensive assignments, it is a tough team to beat.
The defending champion proved that yesterday when it was forced to rally in the second half to overcome the Nelson Sparks 73-60 during a Women's Basketball Championship fixture in Tauranga.
While the 13-point margin seems comfortable, the Goldrush trailed 40-28 after 20min.
‘‘Defensively we just weren't on our game. We were too busy chasing the ball rather than getting in front of our players and saying, ‘No, you are not going to get to the hole'.'' coach Todd Marshall said.
He gave his side that message during the break and the Goldrush won the next two quarters 22-9 and 23-11.
Aleisha Ruske top-scored with 22 points and American Natalie Visger had a strong game with 13 points and eight rebounds.
But experienced guard Janet Main sparked the revival with some energy on defence and her fine court craft.
‘‘It was really nice to see Aleisha's offensive game come along but, to be honest, Janet set the tone. She was just fantastic. She took some great shots and defensively she was great.''
The win capped off a fairly successful opening tournament for the Goldrush. It split its games of Friday but beat the Taranaki Thunder 69-45 on Saturday to finish with three wins from the four games that count.
The Goldrush also played a friendly against the junior Tall Ferns which resulted in a narrow defeat.
Overall, Marshall was pleased with the way his team had responded to the challenge of defending its title without Tall Ferns Samara Gallaher and Jillian Harmon.
The Canterbury Wildcats (4-0) are the only undefeated team after the opening round of games. Their 61-49 win against Auckland Counties Manukau Lady Hawks was pivotal in propelling them to the top of the table.
The Hawks (4-1) are still travelling well and Waikato Wizards (3-1) and the Waitakere Lady Rangers (3-1) had good tournaments.
The Taranaki Thunder (2-2), Tauranga City Coasters (1-3), Nelson Sparks (1-3) and Te Tai Tokerau Phoenix (0-4) have some ground to make up when the championships resume in Nelson early next month.
