By SCOTT PRESTON -
The Bay Hawks denied National Basketball League newbies, the Southland Sharks, a dream start to their existence in Invercargill on Saturday night.
The Hawks blew a fourth-quarter lead but the dominated overtime, out-scoring Southland, in their inaugural season, 21-6 in overtime on the way to a 105-90 win at Stadium Southland.
Hawke's Bay, coming off a loss to the Christchurch Cougars on Thursday night, had six players in double digits, led by guard Everard Bartlett, who shot 9/16 FG and 3/6 3pt for 23 points, while adding six rebounds and six assists.
After a nervous first period saw them trailing 28-15, the Sharks chewed into the Hawks lead, restricting it to seven points by halftime and five points going into the fourth quarter.
Like their season opener in Christchurch, the Hawks again gave away a fourth-quarter lead but this time still managed to get the game to overtime, where they were dominant.
The Sharks, bouyed by a sizable home crowd, took their first lead of the game with 4:20 remaining on a Rene Rougeau put-back.
Rougeau made two free throws to give the Sharks a two point lead with 54 seconds to play. A Gareth Dawson foul on Bartlett gave the Hawks a chance for the tie, but Bartlett missed the second attempt only to get back the offensive rebound. Dave Langrell (14 pts 9 reb) was then fouled with 30 secs remaining, making the first to tie and then missing the second.
Sharks short-term import signing Mike Rose had a chance to win the game but missed his jumper at the buzzer.
Import Jamil Terrell compiled a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Dave Langrell finished with 14 points and nine boards, and Chris Daniel and Nat Connell 15 points each for the Hawks, who are yet to add import Josh Pace in their huddle.
Rose, signed as point guard and captain Luke Martin was unavailable, led Southland with 29 points (8/22 FG, 3/9 3pt, 10/14 FT), while four others - Daniel Munday, Ian Cathcart, Rene Rougeau and James Paringatai - scored in double figures, Paringatai posting a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Two Kiwi big men, Martin Iti and Gareth Dawson, both made key contributions for Southland, Iti with eight points and eight boards and Dawson with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Elsewhere around the NBL, former Tall Blacks centre Nick Horvath had 29 points and current Tall Black Leon Henry 28 points as the Wellington Saints rolled to a 115-81 road win over the Manawatu Jets in Palmerston North.
Ad Feedback With player-coach Pero Cameron still to join the team, and assistant coach Kenny McFadden taking the reins, the Saints piled on the points in the second half, after the Jets remained close, down 60-50 at halftime.
The win came at a cost for the Saints, with their Tall Blacks point guard Lindsay Tait limping out of the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury, already with nine points.
The Saints lone import Darryl Hudson provided a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Troy McLean finished with 14 points.
Jets import Richard Jeter shot 11-of-13 free-throws and 7/18 FG as he scored an equal game-high 29 points but captain Kaine Hokianga, contributing 17 points, was the only other Jet providing consistent back-up offensively.
On Auckland's North Shore, NZ Breaker and Tall Black Corey Webster hit a game-high 34 points, while team-mates Rick Rickert and Dillon Boucher both compiled double-doubles as the Harbour Heart defeated the Otago Nuggets 99-82.
Webster, who got limited game-time for the Breakers, hit on 12/22 FG and 6/10 3pt attempts as Harbour used a 34-17 first quarter to take control. Boucher threatened a triple-double with 12 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and five steals, while Rickert had 18 points and 10 boards.
The Nuggets, back in the NBL after a one-year hiatus, got the bulk of their production from their two American imports, Antoine Tisby putting up 32 points and 19 rebounds and Tyler Amaya delivering 25 points and seven assists.
