North Shore Events Centre has seen many young basketball players at the national U19 basketball championships this weekend.
One of the women's teams came all the way from the East Coast.
For the Gisborne Basketball Association U19s womens side, winning the last game is better than none at all.
Wairoa-based Gisborne player Janayah Lewis says, "it's a great feeling to go home with one win!"
The main thing for this team was experiencing playing against the bigger regions and the bigger players.
Lewis says, "Coming from a small town to coming to play with all these bigger athletes- New Zealand players- we don't get much competition back home so it's real good to come up here."
These young women now understand how the other regions have got to where they are, and know what they need to work on for the future.
The height difference between the Gisborne side and some of their opponents is obvious at times, but as Lewis points out, it still comes back to how much they want it.
"Everyone wants to get up there, but it's about who's willing to work," she says.
A solitary win against Harbour B to finish their competition will no doubt be a great starting point for basketball on the East Coast.