One-pointer women’s basketball semis light up Friendship Hall

The Sol2023 Pacific Games women’s basketball competition saw two nail-biting semi-finals on Friday at Honiara’s Friendship Hall, with Cook Islands and Tahiti reaching the gold medal match, each with only a one-point victory margin.

In a tightly contested match, Tahiti secured a narrow 56-55 victory against Samoa.

The Cook Islands earned their spot after a hard-fought battle with Fiji, which concluded with a razor-thin margin of 51–50.

Tahiti’s Mahinetea Tavanae said the key to her team’s success was their trust and belief.

Cook Islands captain Teararoa Sopoanga expressed immense joy, thanking Fiji for a great match.

The stage is set for an intense gold medal match between Tahiti and Cook Islands at 2pm on Saturday. Fiji and Samoa will contest bronze at 9am.

In the men’s basketball semi-finals, Guam dominated Samoa with a 93-65 victory, securing their spot in the final. Key player Jahmer White expressed gratitude to the Guam community for their support.

In the other match, Fiji defeated New Caledonia 71-60, condemning New Caledonia to contest bronze against Samoa.

The men’s bronze medal match is at 10.30am and the gold clash is at 4.30pm

By Walter Sale, Pacific Games News Service