Saints too good for Rams
If further proof was needed the Wellington Saints were the team to beat in the National Basketball League (NBL), they dished it up in Christchurch on Thursday night.
After throttling the Bay Hawks in their season opener last week, the defending champions dispatched the Canterbury Rams 94-85 in front of a packed Cowles Stadium.
The win improved them to 2-0 ahead of their showdown with the Southland Sharks in Invercargill on Friday night, and ensured they will take home the Huntley-Gordon Trophy.
Tai Wesley (23), who drained a three-pointer on the game’s opening possession, and Breakers reject Corey Webster (25) combined for 48 points in an impressive performance. Wesley also nabbed 14 rebounds – eight defensive and six offensive – to complete his double-double.
The Saints, aided by some suspect transition defence from the home side, never trailed and held a double digit lead for much of the game.
Canterbury, who now travel to Nelson to play the winless Giants on Saturday night, were started slowly and never seriously threatened to overhaul the visitors.
Cutting out slow starts was high on the Rams’ agenda going into the season, but it was a similar story in their first home game this year.
Down 30-18 early in the second quarter, they were regularly burnt on the fast-break, a result of their lacklustre transition defence. If the Saints weren’t getting easy dunks or lay-ups, there was wide open looks for Webster, Wesley or Leon Henry to knock down. But led by a flurry of three-point bombs by Marcus Alipate (19 points), the Rams hung tough and didn’t let the lead balloon out of control.
Rams co-captain Ethan Rusbatch, who missed his team’s first two games with an ankle injury, and Marcel Jones both chipped in with 16 points while import Jeremy Kendle was restricted to 10.
But, despite the Saints losing their shooting touch in an sluggish second half, the Rams couldn’t find their range and claw their way back into the game down the stretch.
Wesley’s three-pointer to start the game sparked a run and gun first half highlighted by some magnificent shooting from the Saints. They connected on eight of their 15 first half attempts from beyond the arc to hold a 53-41 buffer.
But they went cold to start the third quarter, as the Rams chopped the deficit to five points.
The Saints didn’t let them get as close again.