Whai, Bulls win on road, improve to 4-1
- NZ Sports Wire
- Mar 29
- 3 min read
The Tauranga Whai and Franklin Bulls have moved to the top of the National Basketball League (NBL) standings after road victories.
The Whai routed the still-makeshift Indian Panthers 102-73 at South Auckland's Pulman Arena, while the Bulls took care of the Nelson Giants 94-83 at the Trafalgar Centre in Sal’s NBL action on Friday night.
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NZ Breakers squad member Sean Bairstow was a major force for the Whai, the Australian forward flirting with a triple-double before finishing with 19 points (8/16 FG, 2/3 3pt), 11 rebounds and six assists.
Former Tall Blacks guard Kruz Perrott-Hunt also scored 19 points (7/16 FG, 5/10 3pt), while American point guard Chris Jones put up 17 points (7/17 FG, 3/4 FG), six boards, five assist and four steals.
Import big man Talib Zanna had 12 points (5/11 FG), nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks, and Jayden Bezzant and Xanda Marsters both scored 10 points off the bench.
The Panthers were again led by import point guard Alex Robinson Jr, who scored 18 points (6/15 FG, 2/4 3pt), four boards and two steals.
Jaylen Gerrand managed 16 points (5/11 FG, 2/7 3pt), Dante Matakatea 12 points (5/11 FG) and five blocks off the bench, and recent arrival Aaron Blessen 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Panthers led by three after the first period but the Whai out-scored them 50-28 in the middle quarters and then piled on with a 27-16 fourth period.
The Whai (4-1) are now off until next Saturday (tip-off 7.30pm) when they host the Hawke's Bay Hawks (3-1) at Mount Maunganui, while the Panthers (0-4) will hope for their first win, at home against the Otago Nuggets (2-2) on Friday (tip-off 7.30pm).
The Panthers picked up their second Sky Broadband Rapid League win, with new arrival Tushal Singh putting up 14 points and four rebounds in a 33-31 win.
Tauranga Whai 102 (Kruz Perrott-Hunt 19, Sean Bairstow 19, Chris Jones 17, Talib Zanna 12, Jayden Bezzant 10, Xanda Marsters 10) Indian Panthers 73 (Alex Robinson Jr 18, Jaylen Gerrand 16, Dante Matakatea 12, Aaron Blessen 10). 1Q: 25-28, HT: 51-43, 3Q: 75-57
The Bulls' three imports - David Okwera, Tae Hardy and Till Gloger - combined for 57 points, and Tall Blacks Flynn Cameron and Reuben Te Rangi also scored in double-digits in the pull-away win.
Okwera scored a game-high 21 points (9/17 FG), along with six rebounds and four steals, while Hardy had 19 points (6/14 FG, 7/10 FT), five boards and eight assists, and German big Gloger 17 points (7/9 FG), seven rebounds and two steals.
Cameron had 15 points (5/12 FG) and five boards off the bench in his first game for the Bulls, just days after appearing in a losing Game 5 of the Australian NBL Finals series for Melbourne United.
Brice Johnson top-scored for the Giants, with 18 points (8/14 FG, 2/2 3pt), to go with eight rebounds and two steals, while their other two imports, Callum Dalton and Jaylen Forbes, were also in double-digits.
Nelson closed within four early in the fourth on the back of a 9-2 run but the Bulls quickly restored their lead to 10-plus and kept the Giants at arm's-length.
Next up, the Bulls (4-1) travel to Wellington to take on the Saints (2-1) on Thursday (tip-off 7.30pm), while the Giants (0-3) head to Auckland's North Shore to battle the Tuatara (0-3) on Sunday (tip-off 6.30pm).
Hayden Jones, the son of Tall Blacks legend Phill Jones, scored 14 points to lead the Giants to a 41-31 win in the Sky Broadband Rapid League contest.
Franklin Bulls 94 (David Okwera 21, Tae Hardy 19, Till Gloger 17, Flynn Cameron 15, Reuben Te Rangi 14) Nelson Giants 83 (Brice Johnson 18, Callum Dalton 13, Jaylen Forbes 12, Lachlan Crate 10). 1Q: 21-15, HT: 44-40, 3Q: 67-59
