Mainlands 2026
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Basketball Mid Canterbury proudly sent five representative teams to the 2026 Mainland Tournament in Christchurch, with our U16 Boys Green (A Grade), U16 Boys Gold (B Grade), U16 Girls, and two U19 Men's teams representing the association with pride.
Across the four-day tournament, our teams demonstrated outstanding growth, resilience, and sportsmanship, earning praise from opposing associations for the significant improvements they had made since the National Qualifiers earlier in the representative season.
The tournament was highlighted by the U19 Men being crowned Mainland Champions and the U16 Boys Green securing an impressive 5th-place finish. Having two Mid Canterbury teams finish in the Top 8 was a fantastic achievement, particularly for one of the smaller associations competing at the tournament. It reflects the dedication of our players, coaches, managers, officials, and supporters, and showcases the continued growth and strength of Basketball Mid Canterbury's representative programme.
U16 Boys Gold
Coach: Caleb Ede
The U16 Boys Gold team faced a challenging draw at the Mainlands competing against several strong sides. While the scoreboard didn't always reflect it, the team showed noticeable improvement with every game. Their confidence, teamwork, and competitiveness continued to grow throughout the tournament, with many of their matches being far closer on the court than the final scores suggested.
Tournament Results
Lost to Westland – 50-94
Lost to Marlborough – 39-95
Lost to Aspiring – 40-75
Lost to South Canterbury Green – 66-106
Lost to North Canterbury Black – 34-75
Defeated South Canterbury White – 62-56
The highlight of the tournament came in the team's final game, where they earned a well-
deserved 62-56 victory over South Canterbury White. It was a fitting reward for the players' determination and persistence after a week of tough competition.
AJ Mateo was the team's leading scorer, averaging 14 points per game, while also finishing as the 7th highest scorer across the U16 Boys Dev Grade. Izak Kuperus also had an excellent tournament, averaging 11 points per game.
A special mention goes to Coach Caleb Ede, who balanced coaching the U16 Boys Gold team while also playing in the U19 Boys team that went on to win the Mainland title. Caleb was supported throughout the tournament by several parents and fellow coaches who stepped in to assist the team when needed.
U16 Boys Green
Coach: Pip Johnston
The U16 Boys Green team had an outstanding Mainland Tournament, finishing in 5th place after a series of impressive performances.
Tournament Results
Lost to South Canterbury Black – 79-92
Defeated Nelson Blue – 85-58
Defeated Canterbury Silver – 87-81
Qualified for the Top 8 Playoffs
Lost to Otago – 71-76
Defeated CBA Red – 94-61
Defeated CBA Grey – 82-79
The team's 5th-place finish was a fantastic reward for the hard work and development they have shown throughout the representative season.
One of the standout achievements came in their opening game against South Canterbury Black. Earlier in the season at the National Qualifiers, the team suffered a 120-62 defeat against the same opposition. To reduce that margin to just 13 points at Mainlands
highlighted the significant improvement the group has made over the season and reflected the commitment of both the players and coaching staff.
Leading the scoring throughout the tournament were Rain Sangco, averaging 20.0 points per game, and Andres Tawatao, averaging 17.0 points per game.
U16 Girls
Coaches: Yasmin Larry & Latoya Cooksley
The U16 Girls team represented Basketball Mid Canterbury with determination and resilience throughout the Mainland Tournament. Although they faced some tough opposition,
the team showed remarkable improvement with every game, growing in confidence, teamwork, and execution as the tournament progressed.
Tournament Results
Lost to Buller – 25-63
Defeated CBA Red – 47-40
Lost to Otago – 35-95
Lost to Marlborough – 35-66
Defeated South Canterbury – 68-65
The victories over Canterbury Red and South Canterbury were outstanding results and a fitting reward for the team's hard work. The win over South Canterbury was especially significant after the girls had suffered two narrow defeats to the same opposition earlier in the representative season. To come away with the win at Mainland's demonstrated just how much the team had grown throughout the year.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the tournament was the recognition the team received
from other associations. Basketball Mid Canterbury received numerous compliments on how much this group had improved since the National Qualifiers earlier in the season.
Summer Donaldson and Sophia Bayston also made their mark from beyond the arc, finishing 4th and 5th in the tournament for three-pointers made, with five three-pointers each across the tournament.
U18 Boys
Coach: Ben Copland
The U18 Boys team took on a strong field at the Mainland Tournament and produced some
outstanding basketball throughout the week. Despite facing bigger and more physically imposing teams, the group competed with great determination and never backed away from the challenge.
Tournament Results
Lost to Nelson – 54-92
Lost to Otago – 67-83
Lost to CBA Red – 112-106 (Overtime)
Defeated Marlborough U18 – 73-52
Lost to North Canterbury – 64-98
Lost to CBA White – 59-98
One of the highlights of the tournament was the thrilling overtime battle against CBA Red, who went on to finish 4th overall. The boys pushed one of the tournament's top teams all the way, showcasing the talent and determination within the squad. Although fatigue began to set in later in the tournament, the team continued to improve with every game. They played an exciting brand of basketball, creating quality scoring
opportunities and competing hard from start to finish. While a few shots that would normally fall didn't go their way as the tournament wore on, their effort, teamwork, and willingness to keep battling never wavered.
Hunter Abernethy and Mark-Leo Varias led the team's scoring, averaging 12 points per game, while Oakley McKenzie also made a strong contribution with 9 points per game.
U19 Men – Mainland Champions
Coach: Randall Anderson
The U19 Men capped off an outstanding Mainland Tournament by being crowned Mainland Champions, winning the title after an unbeaten campaign. It was a remarkable achievement for the team and a fitting reward for the hard work they had put in throughout the representative season.
Tournament Results
Pool Play
Defeated North Canterbury Black – 103-78
Defeated South Canterbury Black – 93-76
Defeated North Canterbury Maroon (Friendly) – 85-65
Quarter Final
Defeated CBA Boys Black – 80-77
Semi Final
Defeated Nelson – 80-74
Grand Final
Defeated West Coast – 83-76
The road to the championship was anything but easy. After progressing through pool play, the team faced three consecutive high-pressure finals matches, with each contest proving to be closely fought. The quarter-final, semi-final, and grand final all required composure, resilience, and teamwork, and those hard-fought victories prepared the team well for the championship game against West Coast.
Dillan Sami led the team's scoring throughout the tournament, averaging 20 points per game, followed by Cayden Halsey with 15 points per game and Riki Philpott with 13 points
per game.
The title was a significant achievement for Basketball Mid Canterbury. It had been many years since the association had celebrated a Mainland Championship, making this victory a special moment for everyone involved.
Congratulations to Coach Randall Anderson, the players, management, and supporters on an incredible tournament and a well-deserved Mainland Championship. This is an achievement that the team and the association can be immensely proud of.
