Westlake Girls’ historic win at the ISF World Schools Basketball Championship in Macau, China, produced the best result by a New Zealand School at an ISF championship.
Surpassing St Peters, Cambridge’s fourth and Rosmini’s fifth place finish in 2019, Westlake Girls beat the Hong Kong school, 64-36, to win the bronze medal and solidify Westlake Girls’ position on the international stage.
Successfully defending their 2023 New Zealand Secondary School Basketball Championship in Palmerston North, the Premier team won the right to represent New Zealand at the prestigious biannual event in June 2024. That was fantastic, but they faced a mighty challenge – raising $85,000 to compete.
It took six months of intense fundraising from students and parents, coupled with the generous support of sponsors, Precise Homes, Dils Funeral Services, the Asia NZ Foundation, Volvo Cars North Shore and Shakespeare Orthodontics, but they did it!
Our ten-person Westlake team arrived in Macau after 23 hours on the road, then stepped onto the court at the five-storey Mong-Ha Stadium the following morning for the first game against Chile 2. Still jet-lagged and with fewer than 12 hours in the country, Westlake blew out the cobwebs with an impressive 100-26 win over the South Americans.
The young team was led by Year 13 student Kodee Williams-Sefo and well-supported by senior members Emma Schroeder, Lily Fotu and Elin Vincent. They won six out of seven games at the event. The impressive athleticism and height of Year 10 Imani Rasmussen drew a lot of attention, while the determination and robustness of Westlake’s top rower, Charlotte Mawston, impressed under the basket.
The team overcame their pool play opponents. However, overzealous referees in the Hong Kong match penalised Westlake continuously, forcing the team to dig very deep for that victory.
The quarterfinal round paired the New Zealand School against Bulgaria on the top court, where the Eastern Europeans put up a spectacular effort before losing 22-67. Still unbeaten, Westlake met the French school in the semifinal and were buoyed by the fact the French had struggled against Bulgaria in pool play. The first half of the France-New Zealand semifinal was a competitive encounter, with France narrowly leading by just three points at the end of the first and second quarters, 30-27. However, a French surge early in the third quarter continued to undo Westlake’s defence, which inevitably ended the Kiwis’ chance of making the gold medal final. France won 64 – 40.
With confidence, commitment, determination and grit, Westlake Girls again met Hong Kong in the bronze medal game after they had lost to China the day before. Eager not to repeat the tactical nightmare of their last encounter, Westlake led from the start offering fast breaks, insightful passes, and unparalleled defence. They won 64-35 and earned their place on the podium, producing the best finish of a New Zealand school at the World Schools Championship.
The team’s great experiences in Macau were sweetened by the delightful local sights, which were a magical blend of Chinese and Portuguese culture. From the A-Ma Temple, the Lotus Gardens, Panda Land and Portuguese churches to the modern cityscapes and burgeoning international friendships, it was the icing on the cake for the Kiwis.
The next stage for the Premier team is preparing their defense of the New Zealand Secondary School Championship title in Palmerston North next term. The team will be reinforced with the return of Zee Stowers, who was called into the New Zealand Under 18 basketball team for the Asia cup in June, and co-captain Amy Pateman, who is returning from a serious knee injury sustained at the last National champs. Head coach Bronwen Davidson and assistant coach Nela Fotu will the relish their return but will be mindful of potential talent they will need to develop over the next two years if they are to qualify for the next World Schools Basketball Championship in 2026.
