The Hawke's Bay Hawks have capped a perfect National Basketball League (NBL) preseason with a buzzer-beater.
Junior Tall Blacks star and recent Tall Blacks call-up Jackson Ball hit the game-winning three as time expired in an 83-82 win over the Otago Nuggets on day four of the Westside Blitz in Greymouth on Friday.
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Ball has been a standout on the South Island's West Coast, with the game-winner giving him 21 points (6/15 FG, 7/9 FT), along with seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks against the Nuggets, following a 27-point outburst on Thursday night.
The Hawks new import Darnell Cowart scored a team-high 23 points (8/15 FG, 6/11 FT) to go with eight boards and three assists, while Campbell Scott had 18 points (6/14 FG, 4/11 3pt) and four boards.
The Nuggets' lone import in Greymouth, Jose Perez, again impressed with a game-high 35-point explosion (13/23 FG, 9/13 FT), supported by 15 points from Patrick Freeman and 11 points from Darcy Knox.
The Franklin Bulls got their first win of the Westside Blitz, routing the Southland Sharks 108-62, thanks to a balanced offence.
Tobias Cameron top-scored with 20 points (8/9 FG), seven rebounds and four assists, while Christian Vano put up 19 points (6/13 FG, 3/6 3pt) and four boards off the bench, and German import Till Gloger put up 16 points (6/9 FG, 4/5 FT).
American guard Tae Hardy added 15 points (5/10 FG) and six boards, while KC Nwafor pulled down 14 rebounds as the Bulls outrebounded the Sharks 59-29.
Captain Alonzo Burton, import guard Caleb Asberry and Tukaha Cooper all had 12 points for Southland, who were without their third import Josiah Allick.
After two previous losses at the Westside Blitz, the Manawatu Jets posted their first win with a 90-82 victory over the Auckland Tuatara.
Miles Gibson, the only of the Jets' three imports to play significant minutes, scored a game-high 31 points (12/22 FG, 4/7 3pt), also grabbing 12 rebounds for a double-double. Tinashe Matambanadzo put up 23 points (7/12 FG, 4/4 3pt, 5/8 FT) and five boards.
The Tuatara had four players in double-digits, led by import Charles Pride’s 16 points (5/14 FG) and five rebounds.