Cook Islands women’s 5x5 basketball team settled for silver medal yesterday after going down to Tahiti 46-53 in the final at the Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

The national side gave it their all, leading throughout the match until the dying stages of the fourth quarter when Tahiti surged ahead to snatch the gold medal away from the jaws of victory.

Cook Islands began the match strongly, leading in the first, second, and third quarters against Tahiti.

However, Coach Aik Ho reflected on the last quarter, noting that fatigue from the gruelling semi-final match against Fiji on Thursday had taken its toll. Cook Islands defeated Fiji 51-50 in the nail-biting semis.

“It was unfortunate, we ran dry in that fourth quarter. I think defensively, I said to the girls, we had to defend well. I thought we did a good job defensively but we just couldn’t score and that really led us down.”

Coach Ho credited and congratulated Tahiti for their strong performance in the fourth quarter.

Despite the loss, he praised the women’s basketball team for their remarkable achievement.

With basketball being a relatively new sport in the Cook Islands, coming this far at the Pacific Games is a huge achievement, said Ho.

“So it’s a huge achievement and you know, hopefully this will set a precedent for us to come back.”

Throughout their undefeated run, including a close win against Tahiti in pool stage, coach Ho motivated the team by reminding them of the significance of the opportunity/

“This is a special opportunity. We haven’t gotten here before; I know the Tahitians have been here seven times. And obviously, you know they’ve won it now eight times today.”

He commended the Cook Islands girls for their determination and their impressive performance throughout the tournament.

“It’s been a great event. We just want to thank the crowd. They’ve come out to every game and supported us and all the sponsors of all.

“It’s been a great event for us, obviously. And you know, Solomons has been a great host.”

The Cook Islands put on a strong defensive display in the first quarter, taking some time to find their footings. However, they managed to decipher their opponents’ game plan.

By the end of the second quarter, the Cook Islands held a 30-25 lead.

In the third quarter, the Cook Islands maintained their defensive dominance, leading 40-35 at the end of the quarter.

However, a relentless Tahiti team mounted a comeback in the final quarter, taking a 45-42 lead.

Despite the Cook Islands’ valiant efforts to level the score, Tahiti managed to hold on to their lead, eventually winning the match 53-46.