World championship experience, finals wins and losses, and the continuation of a remarkable unbeaten run mark a very busy 2017 season for Lincoln University basketball.
The year’s highlight was a trip to China for the World University 3x3 Basketball Championships for the men’s and women’s sides after both claimed their respective national titles.
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| Hoani Smith |
Coach Hoani Smith the trip exposed both sides to a new level of basketball, and was a valuable experience.
Back home however Lincoln, with essentially the same group of players claimed the men’s and women’s Under 23 Canterbury basketball titles and made the finals in the premier divisions. The Under 23 men have won the division for four years in a row and are now on a 72 game winning streak.
The women’s side also won the New Zealand universities basketball title while the men made the final.
In hindsight Smith said the workload for the season may have been too-heavy.
“The 3x3 was new to us so at the start of the year we just added it to the schedule to see how it would go.
“Next year we will probably concentrate on just the 3x3 and the premier divisions.”
He said new players will be entering into both teams. The trip to China showed the players need some international experience to be able to compete at the top level, so they will be more prepared if the opportunity comes around again.