RELOAD: Jarrod Kenny did the job again on his rival point guard.
IT WAS a bit like a game of pass the parcel after another victory for the Hawks basketball team in New Plymouth last night.
Co-captain Jarrod Kenny came on for an interview but quickly pushed the cellphone to fellow point guard Marco Alexander who then offered it to coach Liam Flynn.
"In 23 years of coaching JK is the best defensive point guard I've had," said Flynn after his IMS Payroll-sponsored troops beat the Augusta Taranaki Mountainairs 97-90 at the TSB Stadium.
Tall Black Kenny contributed 10 points and six assists in a game that the Hawks led in three quarters but then critically let the hosts back into the fray at crucial times.
"There was some great performance from JK who was just outstanding on defence," said the Australian coach delighted that Kenny had stifled Taranaki counterpart Chris Hagan, who is the second-highest scorer in the Bartercard National Basketball League (NBL), to just two points in 27:40 minutes of court time.
Kenny had in the previous round stymied the prowess of James Blond Supercity import point guard Jason Cadee to seven points.
Last night the Hawks traded shot for shot with the hosts to nudge 23-21 in the first quarter.
Said Kenny: "We were up by 13 with two minutes to go and we let them back in."
The Hawks went into the halftime break 48-42 (25-21) but let their guards down 27-23, although they kept their lead, 71-69 before getting it together again 26-21 in the final spell.
"We traded baskets for too long but we had a couple of big plays to come away with a win," Kenny said, adding New Plymouth was always a hard venue to eke out a win.
Alexander said the quality time the guards were spending together was giving them a clearer picture of what they were expected to deliver offensively as individuals.
"Paora [Winitana] wasn't there so we had to step up as guards," he said of the co-captain who doesn't play on Sundays because of his Mormon beliefs.
The Hawks also stayed out of early foul trouble with bench player Anamata Haku the only one on four against the winless Naki.
Alexander, who scored 18 points and four rebounds, said the Hawks were solid on defence and picked up a rash of fast-break points.
With the Hawks hosting the winless Manawatu Jets at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale, on Saturday it is imperative they address the staggering 18-8 turnovers last night. "We were turning over too many balls and mostly unforced errors," Flynn said, delighted with a second victory but stressing they had areas they could be better in.
He saluted Alonzo Burton for scoring 12 points after coming off the bench in the second-half in what had been a quite season, as well as Haku and Daryl Jones for their defence.
"Different people contributed tonight at different times," Flynn said, lauding Naki for making the Hawks' defence "look ordinary at times".
The Hawks imports were again outstanding in their double-doubles.
Nigerian Suleiman Braimoh, in his first game against his previous franchise, scored 21 points and collected 14 rebounds while Zack Atkinson kept his envious habit of a third double-double this season, contributing 12 points and 11 rebounds to the collective.
Result: Taranaki Mountainairs 90 (Aaron Fuller 28pts, 5 reb; Brad Anderson 20pts; Aaron Bailey-Nowell 14pts, 11 reb; D King-Hawea 13pts) IMS Payroll Bank Hawks 97 (Suleiman Braimoh 21pts, 14 reb; Marco Alexander 18pts, 4 reb; Zack Atkinson 12pts, 11 reb; Alonzo Burton 12pts; Jarrod Kenny 10pts, 6 assists).
Quarters (Taranaki first), 1st: 21-23. 2nd: 21-25 (42-48). 3rd: 27-23 (69-71). Final: 21-26 (90-97).