NP hosts national 3x3 champs

Will Johnston

Three New Zealand 3x3 basketball representatives will wear the Taranaki Mountainairs strip in a new-look national competition starting tonight.

Aaron Bailey, Tom Allen and Karl Noyer all played in the same team in last year’s FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup and will line up in the three-day tournament in Invercargill. The side is the top-seeded team given the experience.

The trio will be joined by FIBA Under 18 World Cup MVI Tai Wynard to complete the side.

The NBL event will see ten women’s and ten men’s teams across the country compete in the three-day tournament with fast, furious and physical basketball expected.
With the Schick 3x3 Cup on the line and with 3x3 being a new Olympic and Commonwealth Games sport, players will compete for national positions.

The Mountainairs will be joined by the Taranaki women’s team the Thunder and will both play four round-robin matches before the play-offs.
Jenna Kensington, Isabella Cook, Vanessa Weir and Teghan Omelvena-Ngatai will represent the Thunder.

Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) high-performance director Leonard King said the 3x3 was a high priority for BBNZ with the 2022 Commonwealth Games being the next pinnacle event.

“We have had great success on the International stage winning World Championships.  Having 3×3 included in the Olympics has taken the sport to a whole new level. Our focus is on developing a 3×3 High-Performance programme with an inclusive and dynamic player pathway. We want to create an environment where our 3×3 players and coaches will thrive and have continued success at pinnacle event.”

The new 3X3 Schick Cup adds to other competitive New Zealand events like the 3X3 Quest Tour Final (a qualifier for a FIBA World Tour event), the 3X3 Tertiary Nationals, and the recently developed 3X3.EXE league. King says the NBL has shown great innovation in creating a new product and adding an additional high-performance environment on home soil.

“We are absolutely thrilled to see another elite level 3X3 competition being here. It’s a massive challenge for our best 3X3 players to be exposed to high level competition on a regular basis, so we welcome these types of tournaments being held in New Zealand.”

Matches will be live on Sky Sport.

Taranaki Mountainairs and Thunder schedule:

SESSION 1 | THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12 | 6:30pm to 10:30pm
6:30pm | Women Pool 1 | Canterbury Wildcats vs Bay of Plenty Blaze
6:47pm | Men Pool 1 | Tasman Suns vs Manawatu Jets
7:04pm | Women Pool 2 | Harbour Breeze vs Taranaki Thunder
7:21pm | Men Pool2 | Franklin Bulls vs Canterbury Rams
7:38pm | Women Pool 1 | Northland Phoenix vs Auckland Dream
7:55pm | Men Pool 1 | Hawke’s Bay Hawks vs Taranaki Mountainairs
8:12pm | Women Pool 2 | Capital Swish vs Waikato Wizards
8:29pm | Men Pool 2 | NZ Select vs Auckland Huskies
8:46pm | Women Pool 1 | Bay of Plenty Blaze vs NZ Select
9:03pm | Men Pool 1 | Otago Nuggets vs Manawatu Jets
9:20pm | Women Pool 2 | Otago Gold Rush vs Harbour Breeze
9:37pm | Men Pool 2 | Canterbury Rams vs Southland Sharks
9:54pm | Women Pool 1 | Canterbury Wildcats vs Northland Phoenix
10:11pm | Men Pool 1 | Hawke’s Bay Hawks vs Tasman Suns
 
SESSION 2 | FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13 | 12:00pm to 4:00pm
12:00pm | Women Pool 2 | Taranaki Thunder vs Capital Swish
12:17pm | Men Pool 2 | Auckland Huskies vs Franklin Bulls
12:34pm | Women Pool 1 | NZ Select vs Auckland Dream
12:51pm | Men Pool 1 | Taranaki Mountainairs vs Otago Nuggets
1:08pm | Women Pool 2 | Otago Gold Rush vs Waikato Wizards
1:25pm | Men Pool 2 | NZ Select vs Southland Sharks
1:42pm | Women Pool 1 | Bay of Plenty Blaze vs Northland Phoenix
1:59pm | Men Pool 1 | Manawatu Jets vs Hawke’s Bay Hawks
2:16pm | Women Pool 2 | Harbour Breeze vs Capital Swish
2:33pm | Men Pool 2 | Auckland Huskies vs Canterbury Rams
2:50pm | Women Pool 1 | NZ Select vs Canterbury Wildcats
3:07pm | Men Pool 1 | Taranaki Mountainairs vs Tasman Suns
3:24pm | Women Pool 2 | Waikato Wizards vs Taranaki Thunder
3:41pm | Men Pool 2 | Franklin Bulls vs NZ Select
 
SESSION 3 | FRIDAY NOVEMBER 13 | 6:30pm to 10:30pm
6:30pm | Women Pool 1 | Auckland Dream vs Bay of Plenty Blaze
6:47pm | Men Pool 1 | Otago Nuggets vs Hawke’s Bay Hawks
7:04pm | Women Pool 2 | Capital Swish vs Otago Gold Rush
7:21pm | Men Pool 2 | Southland Sharks vs Auckland Huskies
7:38pm | Women Pool 1 | Northland Phoenix vs NZ Select
7:55pm | Men Pool 1 | Manawatu Jets vs Taranaki Mountainiars
8:12pm | Women Pool 2 | Waikato Wizards vs Harbour Breeze
8:29pm | Men Pool 2 | Canterbury Rams vs NZ Select
8:46pm | Women Pool 1 | Auckland Dream vs Canterbury Wildcats
9:03pm | Men Pool 1 | Tasman Suns vs Otago Nuggets
9:20pm | Women Pool 2 | Taranaki Thunder vs Otago Gold Rush
9:37pm | Men Pool 2 | Southland Sharks vs Franklin Bulls
9:54pm | Women Last 16 (A) | 4th Pool 2 vs 5th Pool 1
10:11pm | Women Last 16 (B) | 4th Pool 1 vs 5th Pool 2
 
SESSION 4 | SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14 | 12:00pm to 4:00pm
12:00pm | Men Last 16 (A) | 4th Pool 2 vs 5th Pool 1
12:17pm | Men Last 16 (B) | 4th Pool 1 vs 5th Pool 2
12:34pm | Women 9th Place Game | Loser Last 16 (A) vs Loser Last 16 (B)
12:51pm | Men 9th Place Game | Loser Last 16 (A) vs Loser Last 16 (B)
1:08pm | Women Quarter Final 1 | 1st Pool 1 vs Winner Last 16 (A)
1:25pm | Men Quarter Final 1 | 1st Pool 1 vs Winner Last 16 (A)
1:42pm | Women Quarter Final 2 | 3rd Pool 1 vs 2nd Pool 2
1:59pm | Men Quarter Final 2 | 3rd Pool 1 vs 2nd Pool 2
2:16pm | Women Quarter Final 3 | 3rd Pool 2 vs 2nd Pool 1
2:33pm | Men Quarter Final 3 | 3rd Pool 2 vs 2nd Pool 1
2:50pm | Women Quarter Final 4 | Winner Last 16 (B) vs 1st Pool 2
3:07pm | Men Quarter Final 4 | Winner Last 16 (B) vs 1st Pool 2
3:24pm | Women Classification 1 | QF1 Loser vs QF2 Loser
3:41pm | Men Classification 1 | QF1 Loser vs QF2 Loser
 
SESSION 5 | SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14 | 6:30pm to 10:30pm
6:30pm | Women Classification 2 | QF3 Loser vs QF4 Loser
6:47pm | Men Classification 2 | QF3 Loser vs QF4 Loser
7:04pm | Women 7th Place Game | Loser Classification 1 vs Loser Classification 2
7:21pm | Men 7th Place Game | Loser Classification 1 vs Loser Classification 2
7:38pm | Women Semi Final 1 | Winner QF1 vs Winner QF2
7:55pm | Men Semi Final 1 | Winner QF1 vs Winner QF2
8:12pm | Women Semi Final 2 | Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4
8:29pm | Men Semi Final 2 | Winner QF3 vs Winner QF4
8:46pm | Women 5th Place Game | Winner Classification 1 vs Winner Classification 2
9:03pm | Men 5th Place Game | Winner Classification 1 vs Winner Classification 2
9:20pm | Women 3rd Place Game | Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2
9:37pm | Men 3rd Place Game | Loser SF1 vs Loser SF2
9:54pm | Women Grand Final | Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2
10:11pm | Men Grand Final | Winner SF1 vs Winner SF2