Hawks, Tuatara home wins in difficult week
- Dave Worsley
- May 2
- 2 min read
Wins for mid-table side the Hawke's Bay Hawks and Auckland Tuatara in the National Basketball League while everyone was distracted by the Indian Panthers scandal.
The Hawks overcame the neighbouring Tauranga Whai 88-87 with a last minute three-pointer to Luca Yates.
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But it was teen Jackson Ball who dominated the game. in the same week he has been named in the Tall Blacks.
Ball, 17, scored 33 points, pulled down three rebounds and grabbed two steals as he and import Dan Grida, with 20 points and nine rebounds, controlled the game.
Yates was the other player for the Bay to reach double-figures, with 10 points and a vaulable 17 rebounds.
Another teen, Carter Hopoi, was the leading scorer for the Whai, with 24 points, followed by Jayden Bezzant on 21. American guard Chris Jones scored 17, while there was 10 each for Kruz Perrot-Hunt and Sean Bairstow.
After the international break, the Whai host the Taranaki Airs on Tuesday, May 15, while the Hawks host the Nelson Giants the next day.
The Tuatara were 83-73 winners over the Otago Nuggets at Eventfinda Stadium, with Illawarra Hawks guard Will Hickey starring with 25 points.
Americans Charles Pride had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Buay Tuach 22 points, making up the majority of the scoring.
Nuggets import Donald Carey Jr from Maryland finished with 24 points but lacked the support, with Jaylen Sebree contributing 17.
South African-born, New Zealand and Australian-raised Jono Janssen pulled in 11 rebounds and scored 14 points.
The Nuggets next game was to be against the Panthers on Friday, May 16, while Auckland are away to the Canterbury Rams the following day.
Hawke’s Bay Hawks 88 (Jackson Ball 33, Dan Grida 20) Tauranga Whai 87 (Carter Hopoi 24, Jayden Bezzant 21). 1Q: 22-20, HT: 45-45, Q3 66-64
Auckland Tuatara 83 (Will Hickey 25, Charles Pride 24, Buay Tuach 22) Otago Nuggets 73 (Donald Carey Jr 24, Jaylen Sebree 17, Jono Janssen 14). 1Q: 17-18, HT: 36-32, 3Q: 52-55
