The future of basketball in the region is in good hands with the Otago under-17 boys team beating Auckland 81-74 in overtime yesterday to claim the national title.
Otago trailed the home side for almost all of regulation time. Centre Sam Timmins made a lay-up with about 13 seconds left to level the scores at 68-68 and send the game into overtime.
From then on it was all Otago. Tournament MVP Richard Rodger top-scored with 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Timmins, who was also named in the tournament team along with Otago guard Joe Cook-Green, had a double-double of 14 points and 16 rebounds. He also had five blocks.
Small forward Josh Aitchison played well too. He held his side together in the first quarter with some valuable points and finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Coach Gavin Briggs thought it might have been the first time an Otago boys team had won a national tournament since his assistant coach, Mark Dickel (36), was a teenager.
''We were really tentative to start with, '' Briggs said.
''It is the first time any of these kids have played in a national final. We missed our shots and they had a really hot start.
''But we basically just took over in overtime and got the job done.
''It was fantastic. I think it is the first title for an Otago boys team since when Sparky [Dickel], would have played back in the early 1990s.''
Dickel coached the girls team to a creditable fifth and assisted Briggs for the ''last few games''.
Yuat Alok top-scored for Auckland with 22 points and 19 boards. His team appeared to be on course, jumping out to a double-figure lead.
But Otago pegged back the 15 points it fell behind.
''It just makes coaching worthwhile when you see the expressions on their faces. It has been a long time coming for us.''
Timmins made his National Basketball League debut this season and Briggs believes Rodger and Cook-Green could reach that level, as well. All three are part of the New Zealand under-17 team and harbour desires to play college basketball in the United States.
''They are exceptional players. They can really go places. I wouldn't be surprised if they played college ball.''
In the girls tournament, Waitakere West unseated North Harbour, defeating the home side 85-79 in the final.
Maia Wilson led the way for Waitakere with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Maria Milani scored 16 points, and Michelle Nichols had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Tera Reed led all scorers with 32 points for Harbour.
U17 national champs
Final score
Otago 81
Richard Rodger 22, Josh Petermann 16, Joseph Cook-Green 14, Sam Timmins 14
Auckland 74
Yuat Alok 22, Kane Keil 20
Fulltime: 68-68
