Waikato Wizards put a second half spell on Harbour Breeze
Harbour Breeze went down 79-53 to top of the table Waikato Wizards in their latest Women’s Basketball Championship (WBC) game on Saturday.
In front of a 500+ crowd at AUT University Sports Centre Anna Lacey opened the scoring with a deep three. Another triple from Lacey plus one from Tayla Dalton completed an even first quarter that finished with the score locked at 15 points apiece.
A Dalton steal and lay-up gave the Breeze a brief lead early in the second but a couple of sloppy turnovers prompted coach Sonny Tuaputa to call a timeout.
Keeley Tini scored soon after the resumption but Waikato pulled away for a 37-23 half-time lead. Waikato guard Alyssa Hirawani, heading the WBC scoring list with 24 points per game, led all scorers at the break with 15 points. Lacey was the best for the home team with 8 points.
Harbour started the third quarter in promising fashion with scores to forwards Katie Diakhaby and Jazz Kailahi-Fulu. A couple of spinning drives from Brooke Blair reduced the arrears further (43-33) before baseline threes from Tall Fern Charlisse Leger-Walker and Ella Bradley gave Waikato a 54-39 three-quarter time lead.
A 9-0 Harbour run once again dragged them to within ten points (58-48) but that was as close as it got for the hosts. The Wizards dominated the middle stages of the final period with a 15-0 run that included a brace of Leger-Walker threes. The Wizards comfortably protected their record as the only unbeaten team in the competition.
Blair, in her first game since she completed her scholarship at Idaho State University, led the Breeze scoring with 13 points and also corralled 7 rebounds. Kailahi-Fulu was a rebounding colossus amassing 15 rebounds and adding 10 points for a fine double-double. Diakhaby, back after two years at Northeastern Junior College, also threatened a double-double with 8 points and 8 rebounds.
Next up for the Breeze is a double header road trip taking on Waikato Country Cannons on Saturday June 9th and Taranaki Thunder the following day.
The next home game is on Saturday June 23rd against Tauranga City Coasters, 1pm at AUT Sports Centre, Akoranga Drive.
Harbour Breeze 53 – B Blair 13, J Kailahi-Fulu 10, A Lacey 9, T Dalton 9, K Diakhaby 8, T Dalton 7, K Tini 6
Waikato Wizards 79 – C Leger-Walker 24, E Bradley 24, A Hirawani 18
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