Now they sit at the top of the table.
The Canterbury team earned southern bragging rights after beating the Southern Hoiho 88-66 in Christchurch tonight.
Haliegh Reinoehl led with 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Sharne Robati was big off the bench with 14 points, four from beyond the arc.
Missing Zoe Richards and Samara Gallaher through injury, other Hoiho local players plugged the gaps, with one local player required to be on court.
Aliyah Dunn got the start, and secured 11 rebounds, while Tyler Mitchell played some good minutes too.
Ahlise Hurst top scored with 18 points and five steals.
Samantha Bowman also recorded a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Reinoehl banked the opening nine points for the Pouākai.
The Hoiho had a slow start but came strong through the back end of the quarter.
Chelsea D’Angelo scored back-to-back triples and Natalie Chou finished a jumper to take the lead.
They got in the Pouākai passing channels and disrupted them out wide to pick up some good ball.
The Pouākai to lead 24-22 at the end of the quarter.
The Pouākai tightened up on D’Angelo as she looked to keep attacking the hoop.
Robati banged down a deep three to extend the Pouākai lead to 31-22.
Hurst banked her first points beyond the arc and then drove hard at the hoop to close the gap,
She knuckled down on defence picking off two balls and becoming a nuisance for the Pouākai.
Abby Cubillo finished the quarter with a three to give the Pouākai a 10-point lead.
The Hoiho were strong under the hoop, snaffling nearly every offensive rebound but just struggled to make the second-chance points drop when they needed them.
The Hoiho banked seven points on the bounce to close it to 46-41.
But the Pouākai worked their way through the troubles and reclaimed the rhythm to jump back out to a nine-point lead.
They stamped their mark and banked points from beyond the arc to hole a 16-point lead at the break.
The Hoiho return home to play the Northern Kāhu at the Edgar Centre on Sunday afternoon.
Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa
The scores
Mainland Pouakai 88
Haliegh Reinoehl 22, McKenzie Forbes 16
Southern Hoiho 66
Ahlise Hurst 18, Chelsea D’Angelo 17
Quarter scores: Mainland Pouakai 24-22, 44-34, 68-52
