HBHS sixth Super 8 basketball title

Last week at the Hastings Sport Centre, Hastings Boys’ High School captured their sixth Super 8 basketball title in their seventh consecutive final.

In the local newspaper coach Curtis Wooten had confidently predicted his team would win the title.

He was right!

In the final however it required an outstanding performance from a rookie and a change of defensive systems to prevail.

Early in the second-half, Hastings had four players in foul trouble so they changed from a man on man defence to a zonal defence.

His guards’ long arms stymied Rotorua’s open jump shots and changed the game; Hastings prevailing 73-64.
Year 11 guard Isaiah Jones-Mitchell claimed a game-high 21 points and won the tournament MVP award. He says it was a great team effort to capture the Super 8 crown for the second time in three years.

“It was a real honour to win the MVP, but it’s all about the team. Rotorua was a great side and we had to step up defensively to win,” he says.

Jones-Mitchell stands 188cm, which is only small in basketball terms. He recalls shooting a plastic ball into a stick-on hoop at the back of his bedroom door while growing up.

That practice has paid off, Jones-Mitchell is a quick sharp-shooter. He has played for the Hawke’s Bay reps for the last two years and identifies his Dad as a huge influence.

“Dad has done everything for me. He takes me to my games and transfers his own knowledge of the game to me. Dad played a lot of club ball and has been really supportive”, Jones-Mitchell says.

Jones-Mitchell’s  favourite game of the tournament  (other than the final) was the win against local rivals Napier Boys’ High School. He sank five three-pointers in a conniving Hastings win.

Hastings next goal is to win the Regional tournament in the first week of September and then push for a top four place at Nationals in late September.

The Top six schools in the central region qualify for Nationals.

Hastings Super 8 Title Run

• Pool Play: Napier Boys’ High School, 67-45
• Pool Play: Gisborne Boys’ High School, 68-40
• Pool Play: Palmerston North Boys’ High School, 76-65
• Semi-Final: New Plymouth Boys’ High School, 75-58
• Grand Final: Rotorua Boys’ High School, 73-64

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