Rusbatch to the rescue as Hawks nail NBL opener

Ethan Rusbatch was the star of the revenge 84-79 win over the Bulls in Pukekohe, starting the 2023 league on Thursday night. Photo / www.photosport.nz

The Taylor Hawke’s Bay Hawks have set the 2023 Sal’s national men’s basketball league alight with a dramatic 84-79 overtime away win over Franklin Bulls.

The victory in Pukekohe avenged a 70-74 home loss to the Bulls in the opening match last season, although that was hardly top-of-mind in the first NBL match under new coach and stalwart Everard Bartlett, who played in the Hawks only NBL championship win in 2006.

Moreover, with a game-high 29 points to Ethan Rusbatch, including the three-pointer which took the match into overtime, it was a major psychological boost for the Hawks on-the-road at Easter, taking the side also to Wellington for a Saturday-night showdown with the Saints.

Last night it was 21-21 at the end of the first quarter, with the Hawks taking the lead 1min 30sec after the break and maintaining it through the half, at one stage stretching to six points out, and going to the break at 39-34.

With the score tied five-times during the third quarter, the Bulls were in front 58-54 going into the last, and stretched the margin to 11 points at 67-56 up with 5min 14sec to go, and still 11 at 3min 39sec, before the recovery was set in motion with a 2pt driving lay-up from Rusbatch who ultimately would save the game with a three-pointer with 6.4sec on the clock to tie it up at 75-75.

A near-immediate 2pts from Hyrum Harris at the start of the five minutes’ overtime and a three-pointer from Jordan Hunt with 3min 10sec to go gave the Hawks an important 80-75 break, briefly closed to three points before two-pointers from new-signing and ex-Saints player Jordan Ngatai and Derome Raukawa stretched it to 7pts and, with two minutes to go left the Hawks settling to hold out the Bulls to the end.

A veteran of more than 150 NBL appearances, and 35 for the Tall Blacks, the near 31-year-old Rusbatch’s 29 points included three of the Hawks’ six three-pointers, the other three coming from Hunt, Raukawa and Denhyme Brooke, while Harris tallied 12 points, with a three-pointer.

Following the away-game starters, the Hawks have their first home game of the season against the Taranaki Airs at the Pettigrew.Green Arena, Taradale, on April 15.