Sharks continue their impressive run
It is time to get excited Southland Sharks fans.
With five round-robin games to play the Sharks have grabbed pole position in the race to the National Basketball League title.
Southland latched just that bit tighter to the competition favourites tag heading into the crunch stage of the season on the back of a 101-86 win over Taranaki at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill last night.
After a patchy start through the first few rounds of the season, the Sharks have since been sublime.
It is not just the fact they have won nine in a row, it is they way they have gone about it,
In a top-of-the-table
clash
in Wellington on Monday they dished out a 30-point drubbing.
Just five days later they were again outstanding, albeit against a winless Taranaki team.
They cruised to the 108-86 win and in the process were even able to restrict the minutes some key players had to spend on the floor.
Southland raced out to a 34-11 lead at the end of the first quarter on the back of Australian import Todd Blanchfield’s 12-point haul.
Henare opted to introduce some of his bench players – who traditionally get few minutes – early in the game, and they did not let the momentum slip.
The most popular introduction was of home-grown lad Andrew Wheeler. In his six first quarter minutes he banked two three-point shots from two attempts.
Mitchell Newton was also was handed some game time, which gave Henare the opportunity to rest some of his frontline rotation.
The Sharks appeared to be having plenty of fun in the runaway win. It was probably summed up by a second quarter play by Kevin Braswell and Blanchfield.
Heading for the basket Braswell produced a behind-the-back pass to Blanchfield who responded with a slam dunk much to the delight of the home crowd.
They pushed out to a 58-32 halftime lead. The Sharks were just too strong under the boards, they out-rebounded Taranaki 28-15 in the first half and it took its toll.
The fun wasn’t over for the Sharks as they never let up in the third quarter.
It was another home-town boy in Rhys Smolenski who got his opportunity in the third quarter and he took it. He landed two three pointers and the Sharks fans found even more voice.
At the end of the third quarter Southland led 88-49 and there was only pride for Taranaki to play for.
To their credit they did earn some respect. They won the final quarter by a mammoth 37-13 margin as Southland cleared the bench and put their key players on ice.
However, Jordan Murphy’s basket to push Southland past 100 points late in the game was a fitting way for Southland to finish their scoring for the night.
Bizarrely Braswell, apart from two free throws, never put up a shot in his 21 minutes which would probably be a first.
The Sharks now prepare for a showdown with the Nelson Giants in Invercargill on Saturday night as they aim for a remarkable 10 straight wins.
Taranaki play Nelson in Nelson tonight.
(Todd Blanchfield 20, Tai Wesley 14, Duane Bailey14, Andrew Wheeler 10), Taranaki Airs 86 (Aaron Fuller 31, Brad Anderson 25, Ashton McQueen 10). 1Q: 34-11, HT: 58-32, 3Q: 88-49