Saints, Sharks send warning At a glance
The Wellington Saints are well and truly back, that much is clear after their season-opening win against the Otago Nuggets on NBL’s opening night.
So are the Southland Sharks, another of the three teams to sit out last year’s Covid-19 enforced Showdown competition, easing past the Nelson Giants in their first game since 2019.
As good as last year’s Showdown was, it’s sure good to see the competition revert to its usual format in 2021.
While two of the first three games were relatively one-sided, the Auckland-derby between the Huskies and Bulls was decided by a late three-pointer.
Wellington Saints go marching on
One of three teams to opt out of last year’s Covid-19 induced Showdown competition, the perennial heavyweights were back to business in fine fashion on Saturday, downing the Otago Nuggets 95-73 at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin.
Having claimed four titles, and been runners-up twice, in the six seasons prior to the unique last one – including going a perfect
20-0 in 2019 – the Saints, even with a largely new-look squad, were quick to stamp their mark and put the Nuggets feel-good story from 2020 well in the past.
Led by 31 points from captain Dion Prewster (11 of 19 shooting, along with five rebounds and a game-high seven assists), the visitors could also be buoyed by the debut of American import Kerwin Roach (19 points) in their thumping opener.
Nuggets skipper Sam Timmins was immense in his first game for Otago since debuting as a 15-year-old in 2013, fetching 18 points and a gamehigh nine rebounds, while American import Isaiah Moss collected
20 points in a losing cause.
Late Jeremy Kendle threepointer sinks Bulls
Auckland Huskies guard Jeremy Kendle drained a last-minute three-pointer to propel his team
Saints 95 (Dion Prewster 31, Kerwin Roach 19, Taane Samuel 9, Tohi Smith-Milner 9) Nuggets 73 (Isaiah Moss 20, Sam Timmins 18, Joshua Aitcheson 14)
Quarter scores: 1Q: 31-24 HT: 57-38 3Q: 80-54.
Huskies 99 (Jeremy Kendle 32, Dontae Russo-Nance 18, Brooke Ruscoe-Taiaroa 17, Nick Barrow 17) Bulls 96 (Josh Selby 26, Jaylen Gerrand 18, Denhym Brooke 16) Quarter scores: 1Q: 17-24 HT: 52-48 3Q: 69-75
Sharks 84 (Brayden Inger 15, Courtney Belger 14, Toby Gillooly
12) Giants 65 (Donte Ingram 20, Thomas Ingham 9)
Quarter scores: 1Q: 20-19 HT:
41-37 3Q: 54-46
to a thrilling 99-96 win over the Franklin Bulls on Sunday.
The Indiana native, who scored a game-high 32 points, hit the clutch three with just three seconds remaining on the clock.
Josh Selby, who poured in 26 points in a losing cause, attempted a last-ditch bomb in a bid to force overtime, but it was not to be.
The Huskies had led 24-17 after the first quarter, and 75-69 with a quarter to play, but failed to close out the derby clash.
Southland Sharks power past Nelson Giants
A 30-point fourth quarter explosion powered the Southland Sharks to an emphatic 84-65 road win over the Nelson Giants yesterday.
They had struggled to shake the Giants in what was a lowscoring match up until that point, despite restricting the hosts to a measly nine third-quarter points.
However, a Brayden Inger (15 points) jumper from beyond the arc ignited the Sharks and ensured they started their campaign with a win.
Inger, the leading scorer among the visitors, was one of six Sharks to score in double-figures in a rounded offensive performance, while Donte Ingram (20 points) was the only Giant to crack double-digits.