Basketball: Saints spring surprises on the Stars and the Heat

By PETER JESSUP

Waikato underestimated Canterbury, the Auckland sides underestimated Wellington, and the Jets took Nelson too lightly in a national basketball league weekend of upsets and overtime games.

The Wellington Saints were the surprise package, winning two on the road in Auckland - 86-77 over the Stars on Friday and 81-72 over Harbour Heat on Saturday - despite having had only one week under new coach Mike McHugh.

Coincidently, McHugh signed to take over the troubled Saints the same week former Australian Institute of Sport colleague Frank Arsego signed as assistant coach at the Breakers.

They are long-term mates and each says the other will be good for the New Zealand game.

McHugh, 52, came here some months ago as coaching director for Sparc. He has coached basketball for 30 years, the past 15 as a professional at the AIS, with the Canberra women's team and the Australian national side, the Opals, whom he took to the Sydney Olympics.

He is the junior Tall Ferns coach.

McHugh's advice was sought after Dean Vickerman quit amidst financial and player contract problems. The result: he was asked to do the job. He watched the Saints lose to Auckland a weekend ago then went to one training and, after speaking to the players, agreed.

He puts the two wins straight-up to the players being ready to bury the negativity and buy in to his philosophy.

"They're telling me no one has won two on the road in Auckland for something like 20 years."

He is impressed with the juniors at the Saints, saying they obviously have the talent to challenge anyone and makes special mention of Craig Bradshaw, who has just won a scholarship to go to Winthrop University in South Carolina, and Callum McLeod.

"The best young players here are on a par with the best in Australia."

The Saints had big contributions from Terence Lewis, 24 points against Harbour, Michael Tompson, who shot 16 against the Heat and 15 against Auckland, and Brendon Polyblank, 14 in both games.

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League-leaders the Titans remain unbeaten, but only just after going to sleep in the second quarter at the Hamilton YMCA to score only 16 points, They led only 44-42 at halftime.

Big defence brought them back into it, the lead swapping before Ben Jeffrey nailed a last-gasp three-pointer for the Rams to force overtime at 88-all.

Mason Le Pou ended it with a three for a 99-96 win that was too close for comfort for Jeff Green.

Nat Connell's 20 and Dillon Boucher's 18 made Green happy, as did captain Riki Strother, Prem Krishna and David Hopoi, but he is looking for all-round improvement before the Titans host Otago at the Te Awamutu Events Centre on Friday.

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The much-fancied Jets were expected to cream a depleted Giants line-up, but another low-scoring affair at the Trafalgar Centre ended 66-all, the visitors scraping home 76-74 in overtime.

The Giants relied on Tall Black Ed Book (21 points) and import Darnell McCulloch (23).

The Jets' wider scoring spread was led by Greg Newbold (21).

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The Rams have one win from five games after Taranaki beat them yesterday, 95-77. It was the Mountain Airs' second victory within 24 hours. They had beaten the Saints after Wellington played the Jets on Saturday night.