The Hawke's Bay Hawks have improved to 2-0 in the young National Basketball League (NBL) season, while the Franklin Bulls have drawn first blood in the 'Battle in the North'.
The Big Barrel Hawks held off the Property Brokers Manawatu Jets 103-100 at Napier's Rodney Green Arena on Saturday, their second win in four days, while the Bulls charged away from the Auckland Tuatara 81-62.
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Hawke's Bay's 17-year-old emerging star Jackson Ball was at it again, following up his 40-point outburst on opening night with 36 points (13/19 FG, 5/9 3pt, 5/7 FT), eight rebounds and three assists.
American forward Darnell Cowart showed out with 25 points (10/18 FG, 2/7 3pt), 13 boards and five assists, while Jacob Murphy put up 19 points (7/14 FG, 2/7 3pt) and five rebounds off the bench.
Tall Blacks veteran Corey Webster, young Kiwi guard Dontae Russo-Nance and American forward Miles Gibson almost carried the Jets to a road victory in their season-opener but came up just short.
Webster scored 32 points (12/23 FG, 3/8 3pt, 5/6 FT), to go with six boards, four assists, two steals and two blocks, Russo-Nance had 25 points (9/23 FG, 2/9 3pt, 5/8 FT), six rebounds, three assists and four steals, and Gibson 25 points (11/19 FG) and four boards.
The Jets trailed by nine points early in the fourth before a 14-5 run to tie it up at 94-94 with 2:29 remaining. But Murphy hit the game-winning basket with 19 seconds left.
The Hawks shot 33 percent on three-point attempts to the Jets' 20 percent (5-of-25), while Manawatu got no points from their bench.
The Hawks (2-0) remain at home to host the Otago Nuggets (0-1) on Friday (tip-off 7.30pm), while the Jets (0-1) head to New Plymouth to take on the Taranaki Airs on Tuesday (tip-off 7pm).
Meanwhile, in the Sky Broadband Rapid League contest, Murphy had a near-perfect shooting display for 18 points (6/6 FG, 4/4 3pt, 2/3 FT) in the Hawks’ 37-29 win. Tyson Thata-Paese had 15 points for the Jets.
American guard Tae Hardy made a big impact in his first game for the Bulls, finishing with 30 points (13/20 FG, 2/5 3pt), four rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Tall Blacks forward Reuben Te Rangi had 16 points (6/11 FG), while recent pick-up, veteran Marcel Jones, pitched in with nine points, five boards and two steals.
Import Buay Tuach put up 14 points (5/16 FG, 4/9 FT), eight rebounds and three steals for the Tuatara, while Dylan Wilkie added 12 points (4/9 FG, 4/8 3pt) and three steals off the bench, and American guard Charles Pride 11 points (5/16 FG) and seven boards.
A late second-quarter surge gave the Bulls a 12-point halftime lead, before they doubled that with a 25-13 third period, with Hardy scoring nine.
The Bulls (1-0) are quickly back in action, hosting the Whai (1-0) on Monday (tip-off 7pm), while the Tuatara (0-1) get a week to regroup before welcoming the Airs next Saturday (tip-off 3pm).
In the earlier Sky Broadband Rapid League game, the Tuatara ran out to a 42-28 victory, with Wilkie going for 17 points (7/9 FG, 3/4 3pt) and four boards.
Hawke’s Bay Hawks 103 (Jackson Ball 36, Darnell Cowart 25, Jacob Murphy 19, Campbell Scott 10) Manawatū Jets 100 (Corey Webster 32, Miles Gibson 25, Dontae Russo-Nance 25, Eric Williams Jr 12). 1Q: 23-22, HT: 48-54, 3Q: 77-71
Franklin Bulls 81 (Tae Hardy 30, Reuben Te Rangi 16) Auckland Tuatara 62 (Buay Tuach 14, Dylan Wilkie 12, Charles Pride 11). 1Q: 22-19, HT: 44-32, 3Q: 69-45