AIA basketball teams vs. University of Pretoria
On Saturday 19 July 2008, Athletes in Action brought 2 teams to Pretoria to play against the Tuks boys and girls’ teams in the afternoon.
Before giving the feedback on how both games went, here is a quote from an AIA pamphlet that is worth mentioning: “Sport is the one language that knows no boundaries and sees no distinctions. It unites cultures, transcends values and defies convention. In other words when communication fails, we can use our common interest in sport to speak.”
AIA vs. Tuks women
With the Tuks ladies fresh from a well earned rest from their recent excursions to Cape Town, they added the experience of Nicki de Villiers to their ranks before facing off to an AIA team that looked young and inexperienced. Tuks started slowly, missing easy baskets and layups (probably still thinking about the holidays) but soon they found their rhythm and began to dominate their opponents. They were not having it their own way though, with the AIA point guard number 52 crossing over some of the Tuks guards and giving her teammates easy looks close to the basket.
While AIA had 2 or 3 good players on the court, Tuks had a team of champions all over. They passed the ball around and always seemed to get a layup or an uncontested high percentage shot in the end. The Tuks ladies, Requelh, Nicki, Taki, Bulelwa, Vuyi, Linda, Thato, Kelly, Michelle etc… played for each other and with a smile on their faces throughout the game. And despite the ease at which they were scoring their baskets, the USSA champions never dropped their intensity on both ends of the floor and ended up winning the game 55-19. In the end the winner was basketball and the friendships made today.
AIA vs. Tuks men
This was the anticipated clash of the day. With Tuks having home court advantage and AIA being a team with mixture of nationalities and universities, you’d fancy their chances. But after tip off, AIA just rolled over the home team like if they were sitting in the stands watching the game with the fans. They played a quick but controlled game, with quick ball movement and accurate shooting. They were smaller in size compared to Tuks but they controlled the boards all game.
Tuks were outplayed by a smarter team and despite Benedict Ramakau efforts; they couldn’t compete with their much travelled visitors. They played with fear and that translated itself to their game. AIA were shooting the light out with Stanga (University of Johannesburg), and number 9 from the US were the guys causing the most damage. Mogomutsi Shooter (UJ) was also having a good game with a couple of tough shots on the drive and a few three pointers. There was even a break away dunk by US number 7 player that surprised many including him. Despite their height advantage, the Tuks team didn’t use its big men enough and as a result they didn’t have an inside game to vary their point of attack. With the Tuks men being outhustled, out jumped and outshot throughout the game, they didn’t do the basic right and were outclassed 90 – 56 in the end.
This was a good lesson in basic basketball play and these are the kind of games South African teams need to be exposed to so as to see what level is needed to succeed and compete with the rest of the world. After both games, AIA players got a chance to meet and share their mission in South Africa with the Tuks players.
Good work V.!
this can only be good for basketball. I hope both Tuks teams learned something that they will hopefully implement into their play from now on.
The communication with the higher hierarchies and the marketers have failed.
As basketball administrators in the local leagues, Officials, athletes and supporters of the game, let us use the common interest in basketball to speak up.
This is critical as it will showcase the strength that comes from the love of the game. I want us to invite all of us participating in the local leagues to invite a friend or two at the games. Invite the friend or two to bring their girlfriend or boyfriend.
Basketball is in our hands. Let us make use of all possible avenues to raise the level of the game.
Good job all of ya who organise matches such as these. Good job for the administrators who organise the local leagues. Good job to the athletes who entertain us. And the officials who make it possible for the games to take place.
Victor, keep the news coming! Publishing raises awareness. You never know who visit this website. Maybe Santie Botha is reading this.
It’s funny how most SA teams always seem to be learning when they lose. And when they win one game, all of a sudden they are the masters of the universe. That win patches up the mediocrity that is behind the scene, personal enrichment, vendettas, bad/no development,etc…
For example after Bafana bafana beat Paraguay 4-0, they were mentioned as world beaters, what followed after that was excuses and we now have a situation where we might not qualify for Afcon. When the SA basketball team beat Mozambic a few years back expectations were high and with good reason but instead of building on this 1st step, the administrators pressed the self destruct button.
These international basketball matches should be used constructively as a 1st step and not be treated as just another game. Otherwise you can bring the same players from AIA in 2/3 years time and they would still beat Tuks. Every year the excuse is: “its a learning experience”
The only way we can learn is if we have consistency in regular games. Like I have said before, plans that we have for Gauteng next year is one that should excite people. We do however need more coaches, league admistrators and more importantly, more refs. Victor, can you please put up something on the website where people with the above abilities/interests can add their details and areas in a form of a database buidling. In the meantime, I would like to organise fun friendly games on Tues/Thur nights were teams can just agree with the refs to play against each other. The more games a team plays, the more experience the team gets, something they can use in tough and importand games. Hope we get a good resposnse for the admistrators, refs, and coaches.