Basketball: Harbour struggle to stay with leaders

The battle of the bridge with the Auckland Stars on Wednesday, and the visit by Canterbury at the weekend, take on added significance for North Harbour as they struggle to stay with the leaders in the National Basketball League.

Harbour slumped 86-81 to the Manawatu Jets on Friday night but softened up the Jets for Auckland, who ran down a tiring visitors squad 99-94 on Saturday.

Hawkes Bay are the only unbeaten side in the NBL after the Stars ended Manawatu's run, six of the Aucklanders getting into double figures at Trusts Stadium.

The game ended with Stars import Brock Gillespie and the Jets' American Jamar Brown fouled out and Brown being removed from courtside after a push-and-shove.

The Jets lost Boomer Brad Davidson, who had killed Harbour on the Friday, early in Saturday's game.

Against the Heat, Davidson scored seven of his 16 points in the dying stages. Aaron Nowell top-scored in that game with 22 and the consistent Stacey Lambert delivered 16 for the Jets, as did Clifton Bush. Breaker Brent Charleton was Harbour's best with 20.

It was 61-all at three-quarter time, but the Heat collected 31 fouls to the Jets' 14 and lost their rhythm.

The Jets tired in the third quarter against Auckland on Saturday and the Stars again produced evidence of their scoring ability, Gillespie scoring 20 and fellow American Josh Nigut 24, Lindsay Tait 15, Dillon Boucher 13, Daryl Cartwright 11, Casey Frank 10.

Against that sort of firepower, the Heat need forwards Troy McLean and Mike Homik and their import guard Anthony Sujnara to step up on Wednesday at North Shore. Auckland, the Jets and Nelson all have three wins from four after the Giants beat Wellington 85-71 on Saturday. Wellington led 40-33 at halftime but were badly out-rebounded in the third quarter, leading to lots of possession and a flood of points, 25-9, to the Giants.

The Nelson imports, Josh Pace and Eric Freeman, again dominated scoring for them with 19 apiece. For the Saints, import Jamaal Livingstone shot 22 and Brendon Polyblank 18.

Waikato notched their first win of the season at the weekend, dumping the hapless Otago Nuggets 94-89. Otago are now none-from-six and with two road games coming up against Nelson and Wellington.

The Nuggets and Pistons each scored 22 points in each of the last two quarters, and the five-point lead Waikato held at half-time decided things.

Ben Hill has been their top scorer and was again with 24, though this time equalled by both Pistons imports Graeme Dann and Vidal Massiah. For Otago, Miles Pearce shot 20 and Nate Connolly 19.

Pearce scored 15 and took 15 rebounds, his fifth "double-double" of the season, as Otago backed up against the Taranaki Airs, but it wasn't enough to secure victory in New Plymouth, the home side cruising in 85-68.

Again, fatigue was a factor for the travellers. Airs import and the league-leading scorer Garry Hill-Thomas shot 27 and Tall Black Tony Rampton 23.

Taranaki play Hawkes Bay on Friday this week, the Jets go to Hamilton on Saturday and Canterbury play Harbour. Auckland get the benefit of playing the backing-up team when they meet the Rams on Sunday, as do Wellington, who will host Otago following their game in Nelson.