Ton-up Sharks grab top spot

The Southland Sharks knocked the Hawke’s Bay Hawks off the summit in week four of New Zealand’s National Basketball League with an emphatic 104-74 victory in Invercargill on Saturday.

Alex Pledger top-scored with 17 from his 18 minutes on the court as the Hawks suffered their worst loss of the season and, despite them remaining level on points with the Sharks on top of the ladder with a 4-2 record, their point difference has plummeted to minus eight.

The Sharks’ plus 67 record meant they leapfrogged the Hawks into first place.

The Hawks conceded 28 turnovers to the competition’s runners-up from last year and dropped their second game of the season as regular scorers – Dion Prewster, Ethan Rusbatch and Jamie Skeen – failed to deliver.

Meanwhile, the Canterbury Rams went two from two in week four after beating the winless Super City Rangers 98-83 in Auckland yesterday to go level on points with the Hawks.

After leading 56-43 at halftime, Canterbury’s lead was down to nine in the third quarter before they secured victory with a dominant finish. The Rangers remain rooted to the bottom of the ladder after six straight losses.

The Rams had stunned the Nelson Giants 104-90 in Nelson on Saturday for their second successive victory on the road after beating Taranaki in overtime last week.