The last round of 3×3.EXE Premier League saw the favourites claim finals spots
This article courtesy Jacob Page/BBNZ
Photos courtesy Richard Connelly/GamefaceNZ
Fittingly, the two best teams in the South Island conference met in the final of round eight at Christchurch’s Ara Institute on Sunday. The University of Canterbury.EXE and Lincoln University.EXE will represent the South Island at the 3×3.EXE premier tournament in Japan next month.
The pair play contrasting styles, with Lincoln relying on ball movement and outside shooting. uc, however, can play inside and out, running most of their game through Canterbury Ram Brent Fisher, who has dominated the paint throughout the competition.
Accurate perimeter shooting from Canterbury’s Paul Stephenson and the presence of Fisher inside lifted Canterbury to another round win.
Lincoln only needed to make the semi-finals to guarantee themselves boarding passes and they did this in their 21-17 win over Atami.EXE.
Lincoln’s sharp two-point shooting can be hard to contain and with the standard style of 3×3 basketball involving more action in the paint, their long-range shooting may be a point of difference overseas.
Stephenson said he was thrilled with how his team went defensively, especially trying to limit two-point opportunities and that was something they’ll need to keep up in Japan.
Lincoln player Ihaia Kendrew said it was a case of getting the job done and that they would look for ways to combat the heat and outdoor conditions of Asia once they land.
Round Eight Results:
Wolverines.EXE 21, Atami.EXE 16
University of Canterbury.EXE 21, Gators.EXE 12
Lincoln University.EXE 21, Atami.EXE 17
Gators.EXE 17, Checkers.EXE 14
Lincoln University.EXE 21, Wolverines.EXE 13
University of Canterbury.EXE 21, Checkers.EXE 21
Semifinal 1: Lincoln University.EXE 21, Gators.EXE 19.
Semifinal 2: University of Canterbury.EXE 22, Wolverines.EXE 10.
Final: University of Canterbury.EXE 21, Lincoln University.EXE 14.
SOUTH ISLAND CONFERENCE – Final Points Table:
University of Canterbury.EXE 25; Lincoln University.EXE 22; Gators.EXE 18; Atami.EXE 9; Checkers.EXE 8; Wolverines.EXE 6.
Official Results are available on play.fiba3x3.com, and the event was streamed on our facebook page
More information:
The winners of each of the South Island and North Island conferences after all eight rounds will qualify for the 3X3.EXE Premier finals in Japan.
The teams that come second in each of the NZ conferences go to a qualifying tournament, and the winning team will be given automatic entry in the main tournament. With all expenses paid, those four teams will compete for a share of USD$20,000 in prize-money in Tokyo in September. The winner of the big Tokyo based event will also qualify for a FIBA World Tour Masters Event.
3X3.EXE Rounds Remaining:
3×3.EXE Playoffs in Tokyo, 7-8 September
For more information including Schedule, Ladder, Teams and Images, please see the dedicated 3X3.EXE BBNZ page
Follow the 3X3.EXE Premier League on Basketball New Zealand’s social media channels: @BasketballNZ on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and on the website, nz.basketball
