Mainland Eagles Women Successful in First Half of Tour

The Mainland Eagles Basketball Academy's women's team has had a successful start to its Las Vegas tour. Playing teams predominantly from the Las Vegas area, the team from New Zealand has notched up a 5-3 record, including making the final of Green Valley High School's Gator Winter Classic.

Coach Mark Dickel is pleased with the way the team has started, citing its strength in depth and cohesiveness.

"It is pleasing the way the team has stuck together as a unit and fought hard for all the games," he said. "We have played a lot of games against many different opponents, and different players from our team have stepped up in different situations."

He went on to say the girls are having to adjust to a different style of play and are doing so through strong defence and high intensity

"The adjustments are ours to make in order to improve our game to match a much-faster-paced U.S. game. [Our] defensive pressure and hustle are restricting opponents offensively."

After going 4-0 en route to the final of the Gator Winter Classic, the Eagles went down to Santa Fe High School of San Diego by six points, a team Dickel described as "well-drilled."

The tournament saw them hold last year's champions, Rancho High School, to 20 points while also winning two games on the opening day, only hours after having completed 27 hours of travel. That should not be overlooked. While they are having to adjust to things such as different balls, playing styles and conditions, they were also battling jet lag, something even professionals make great effort in managing.

Two high school juniors, Aleisha Ruske (16 points per game) and Tessa Morrison (14 ppg), have stood out. Both were named in the all-tournament team and along with freshman point guard Nicole Ruske, they have shown they could play at an NCAA Division I college, according to Dickel.

He was also complimentary of Claudia Flaws' strong rebounding game, as well as valuable contributions from Zoe Richards and Tayla MacDonald. They are all players, amongst others, that he believes could "do well" at the Division II level.

Since the tournament, the team has matched up with bigger, older opposition in an attempt to expose the players to as much quality as possible. Dickel stated the Eagles fought hard defensively and shot well to stay in these games, but "size and experience [got] the better of them in the end."

Despite the losses, he remains upbeat, suggesting that each player has learnt plenty about her game.

The primary focus of the tour is that of development. By playing against many of the top teams in the Las Vegas area, the players get a chance to experience the U.S. system, while also allowing them to see how they compare to American players of their age.

It also provides the opportunity to receive exposure to college scouts and will help their cause should they decide to pursue that path.

This year's team is a young one, possessing just two seniors. It brings together players from the lower half of New Zealand's South Island in order to allow them to experience the U.S. game. The current team contains players from three different high schools: St. Hilda's Collegiate, Otago Girls' HS and Ashburton College.

With Morrison the only player from the Canterbury under-19 national championship-winning team, this is far from a complete selection of what the south of New Zealand has to offer. It is still a talented roster though, filled with players who are hard workers and serious about their development in the sport.

The long-term effects of this could be huge for basketball in the area. Despite a growth in popularity, it is still a sport that remains firmly in the shadow of others, such as rugby, cricket and netball.

The reality of that is that without the Eagles Academy, these players simply would not get the opportunity to develop themselves in this manner. There are just not enough serious basketball players at individual high schools at a high enough level who would be prepared to pay a not-so-insignificant amount of money to make the trip. 

However, there are a growing number of prospects out there. Through the Eagles Academy, they now have the chance to gain exposure and grow their games in a more challenging environment. It is something that has not been available before and has seen some talented players slip through the grasp of the sport.

This being the first tour, it was unclear exactly how the Eagles players would match up. With the men's team finishing 9-7 and the women currently at 5-3, there have been plenty of successes to celebrate.

The players are getting a chance to show their stuff. But more importantly, it is allowing them to "get better" and "see where they need to be" to maximise their potential in the sport.