Rams wipe floor with sorry Sharks
American import Matthew Moyer and his Canterbury Rams team-mates gave their loyal supporters something to cheer about during the 106-55 NBL demolition of the Southland Sharks on Saturday night.
While many waterlogged Cantabrians have been wringing their hands in frustration during the Big Wet, the Rams provided some with a welcome distraction as they pulled apart the Sharks at Cowles Stadium in Christchurch.
From the get-go, it was clear the Rams weren’t in any mood to mess around. They led 26-8 after the first quarter, holding the Sharks to an extremely modest 2-of-16 from the field and forced six turnovers.
Moyer scored 19 points and also swept the boards for 20 rebounds, while teammate Mike Karena posted 20 points.
With the Rams leading 45-18 at the break, it must have been difficult for even the most one-eyed Sharks supporters to see how their team could clean up the mess. They weren’t wrong. Moyer already had himself a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds as he produced a big shift in the first half.
Despite a solid effort from import guard Daishon Knight, the Sharks’ hurt themselves by throwing bricks; they were shooting just 7-of-31 from the floor and 1-of-9 from deep.
Even with the game firmly in hand the Rams didn’t take their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Sharks 27-16. The Rams committed just eight turnovers in the contest, an impressive effort considering they played at a high pace and generally that increases the likelihood of mistakes. They dished out a whopping 28 assists and out-rebounded the Sharks 57-32 on the glass. Canterbury did little wrong in what was an essential win on their home floor. They’ll head to Hawke’s Bay for a game that could decide who heads to Auckland for the Final 6 on August 10.
Brayden Inger was solid again for the Sharks, despite the loss; he totalled 16 points and eight rebounds. The Sharks meet a desperate Bulls squad at home in Invercargill in their next encounter.
Meanwhile, on Friday night the Taranaki Airs erased an 18-point deficit to beat the Franklin Bulls 93-86 at the Franklin Pool & Leisure Centre.
The Bulls led 26-11 after the first quarter, exploiting a lethargic start by the visitors. But they quickly woke from their slumber.
Once the Airs figured out the zone-defence they looked more dangerous, although five straight points to end the first half by Corey Webster ensured the Bulls led 48-45 at the break. The Bulls had three players in double figures – Isaac Davidson, Corey Webster and Anzac Rissetto – a welcome sight for a team that has struggled to find consistent offensive production this season.
The Airs started strong in the third quarter with an 11-0 over the first three minutes.
They led by as much as 11 points in the quarter, but the Bulls settled things down to stop the bleeding and remain in striking distance.
Franklin trailed by seven points heading into the fourth quarter after leading by as much as 18 earlier in the contest.
Taranaki’s Anthony Hilliard, Javonte Douglas, Marcel Jones and Shaun Willett all scored at least 20 points, but the contributions and effort of Carlin Davison was also significant. He scored nine points in the contest, but he had a tremendous impact on both ends of the floor with his work rate.
The Bulls hit the road for their final two games of the season, and it’ll be an uphill climb to make the top six. They’ll have to beat both the Sharks and Nuggets on the road to give themselves a shot, along with some other results falling their way.
Meanwhile, the Hawke’s Bay Hawks beat the Manawatū Jets 106-69 in Napier on Sunday evening.