NZNBL 2014 Round 9: Henare’s return spurs Sharks victory
Round 9 of the NZNBL took place between Friday May 30 and Monday June 2 2014. Games are as follows:
Manawatu Jets 94-100 Supercity Rangers
The Supercity Rangers march on with yet another win to make it four on the trot.
With a 19 point lead midway through the third quarter, all looked lost for the home side as fans became weary. However a late storm by the Jets saw the game come alive again, as the Rangers were made to fight to keep the win streak alive.
Duane Bailey led all scorers with 32, while he also had seven rebounds yet eight turnovers. Daryl Corletto struggled from the floor taking 23 shots to get to 25 points, while the in-form Jason Cadee used his teammates much more on the night, chalking up another great game with 19 points, six rebounds and seven assists, despite 2-11 from downtown.
The home side was led by none other than captain Nick Horvath who registered 18 points and 20 rebounds, while Brandon Jenkins was able to continually get to the charity stripe with 24 points. All starters scored in double figures.
Supercity Rangers 93-96 Otago Nuggets
Coming off a back to back, the Rangers weren’t able to knock off a feisty Nuggets side at home. After a hot start, the Rangers fatigue certainly kicked in and they were a tad slow on the defensive end giving up quick points and key times.
Jason Cadee backed up his solid outing the night before with a shooting display, dropping a game high 34 points. He and Daryl Corletto (25 points, 5 assists) played all forty minutes which will have their bodies sore for the rest of the week.
The Nuggets were led by the trio of Mark Dickel (26 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Brendon Polyblank (23 points, 5 rebounds) and Brandon Bowdry (23 points, 12 rebounds), while Warren Carter was the teams spark at times with a 17 point, 12 rebound performance.
Hawke’s Bay Hawks 86-79 Nelson Giants
Hawke’s Bay remains two games clear at the top of the NZNBL ladder with another victory after a slow start.
Down six at half time, the Hawks piled on the defensive pressure to take the game out of their opponent’s hands, allowing just 12 points in the third term. This was enough to swing the momentum and lead the Hawks to another close win.
Dustin Scott registered a double double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while teammates Everard Bartlett (16 points, 7 assists) and Kareem Johnson (18 points, 10 rebounds) picked up the slack.
The visitors were led by Jamal Boykin (25 points, 11 rebounds), while Josh Pace (9 points, 5 rebounds) had his first below par game in the NZNBL this season.
Waikato Pistons 83-78 Otago Nuggets
A 33-17 second quarter belting set up the Waikato Pistons to a five point home win. Despite not winning another quarter in the game, the Pistons maintained the momentum they had at half time to hold on for victory.
Despite putrid shooting by Corin Henry (4-15FG), he managed to record a team high 20 points to go along with five rebounds and six assists. Akeem Wright (19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) and Casey Frank (8 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists) were key in the big Pistons run.
Wilson Carter scored 31 points while grabbing 11 rebounds, however it wasn’t enough to stifle the Pistons who grabbed 11 offensive rebounds. Mark Dickel once again played all forty minutes for 13 points, four rebounds and seven assists.
Southland Sharks 101-86 Taranaki Mountainairs
Coming out from a brutal week in Southland, with players in legal trouble all over the place, it brought about the return of Paul Henare, coming out of retirement to play for his beloved Southland Sharks. The now, player/coach turned in an impressive ‘debut’ to spark the Sharks to a 15 point victory.
Henare played 23 minutes before fouling out to record four points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal. The star of the show however was Kevin Braswell, who was straight home cookin’ his way to 45 points, mainly thanks to his NZNBL record 22 free throw attempts, in which he made 20. Braswell’s final line looked like this:
45 points, 11-30FG, 3-12 3P, 20-22FT, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 7 steals, 4 turnovers.
Credit: Photo Credit: Monica Toretto - Southland Sharks photographer
Brian Conklin (24 points, 7 rebounds) and Luke Martin (18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) were forced to play second fiddle despite big games. Suleiman Braimoh led the Airs with 29 points and 10 rebounds in yet another impressive game.
Canterbury Rams 103-76 Taranaki Mountainairs
Staggering on back to back road games, the Taranaki Mountainairs were unable to get the job done against bottom placed Canterbury. The Rams were able to grab their second win of the season against a tired looking Airs squad.
Big games from Marcel Jones (23 points, 12 rebounds) and Glen Dandridge (23 points, 2 steals) led the way for the Rams, while it was the injection of Richie Edwards (15 points, 4 steals) that finished the job.
A massive advantage in points in the paint (68-32) was the major difference in this game, with the Rams doing as they pleased on the offensive end.
Suleiman Braihmoh scored a game high 30 points to back up his solid game the night before and will once again be in contention for player of the week.
Manawatu Jets 100-89 Wellington Saints
A 4 point three quarter time Wellington lead was quickly erased in the opening five minutes as the Jets literally turned on the jets to rally in the final quarter to pile on 36 points to 19 and securing an 11 point win over tough opposition.
Phill Jones had an abundance of points, mostly coming in the final quarter as he finished with 40 points and 8 rebounds (5 offensive). Brandon Jenkins (22 points) and Nick Horvath (14 points, 14 rebounds) played the entirety of the game which helped the Jets score a decisive win.
For Shane Heal’s men, it was again left up to the starters to try and get the job done, falling short at the final hurdle. Brandon Bowman (28 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists), latest import Bryan Davies (21 points, 10 rebounds), Corey Webster (17 points) and Lindsay Tait (13 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals) brought about all but ten points for their side, something which needs to be looked at for the future.
For more information regarding the NZNBL, head to their website, here.