Sharks deliver goods in first half
There is a lot to like about how the Southland Sharks 2015 National Basketball League campaign is building.
After a slow start in the early weeks of the competition, the Sharks have won four in a row with the latest an 82-71 win over Hawke’s Bay in Invercargill on Sunday night.
While Southland were superb throughout the first half, Hawke’s Bay looked like a low-budget magic show with one trick up their sleeve.
They put the ball in the hands of their leading scoring option, Suleiman Braimoh, and hoped but this time around it did not work.
Hawke’s Bay have been reliant on him being hot in the scoring department this season.
However, in Invercargill against Southland the American import put up 10 shots in the first quarter and made three.
It set the tone for the entire first half.
While he was missing, the wide range of the Sharks’ scoring options were problems.
The Sharks were rampant in the first quarter, shooting at 65 per cent from the field and 40 per cent from three-point land to lead 29-15 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was also not pretty for the visiting Hawke’s Bay team as they banked nine points, while the Sharks posted 23 to make it 54-28 at halftime.
Todd Blanchfield has been nursing an ankle injury of late but it was the Australian import who was the key contributor to the Sharks’ early dominance, scoring 19 first-half points.
On the flipside, at halftime Hawke’s Bay were shooting at 26 per cent from the field and missed all nine three-point attempts.
not
having
any
Southland went on in the second half to win 82-71 but if there was a black mark against their performance it would be the finish.
The game turned messy and to Hawke’s Bay’s credit, they never let up.
Southland scored five points in the final quarter as Hawke’s Bay won the period 25-5 which will not impress coach Paul Henare.
AJ Majstrovich had his best game in Sharks colours to date, contributing 15 points and seven rebounds.
Tai Wesley was also good, however, Blanchfield was the star.
He scored 30 points which included four slam-dunks to light up the 1500-strong crowd.
The Sharks’ next assignment is against Manawatu in Palmerston North on Friday night.