Basketball: Smart Hawks upset NBL champions

By MURRAY McKINNON

A week after his darkest hour, Hawkes Bay basketball coach Curtis Wooten was facing a ray of sunshine after his team had caused an upset defeating league champions Auckland 72-66 at Unitec Stadium.

The previous week on the road in Auckland, nothing had gone right for Wooten as his team were thumped 97-62 by North Harbour.

"The team played harder, smarter and were more physical and aggressive this week," said a delighted Wooten.

Auckland had the better opening quarter, defending well cutting down the powerful Hawks trio of Willie Burton, Murray Barker and Chris Pollard.

Ben Pepper and Dillion Boucher were able to penetrate on the inside and Mason Le Pou was accurate from the three point line to have Auckland ahead 20-13. However, in the next quarter Auckland were outscored 21-14 by the Hawks, the only glimpses of brilliance coming from their 19-year-olds, Daniel Barritt and Reece Cassidy.

Pollard, Barker and, later in the quarter, Arthur Trousdell led the charge by the Hawks to bring them up to be locked 34-all at the break. Burton was brilliant on defence securing 14 rebounds and a further two offensive rebounds.

Hawks stamped their authority on the game late in the third quarter with nine unanswered points, to put them in command 53-50 going into the final 10 minutes.

Paul Henare and Daryl Cartwright had Auckland back on track 60-56 with five minutes remaining. But luck was with the Hawks and two successive baskets from former Harbour player Paora Winitana and Trousdell gave them the lead again 65-64 with a minute left.

A time out called by Auckland coach Tab Baldwin, followed almost immediately by another by Wooten, saw Auckland adopt the tactic of intentional fouls to gain possession.

However, Winitana was relishing going to the free throw line, slotting five in the final four seconds.

Baldwin said the road to the play-offs will be just that much more difficult.

"I'm disappointed, I hate losing at home," said Baldwin. "We were too confident, and didn't give them the respect they deserved.

Baldwin has a new addition to his team, 1.96m shooting guard Aaron Olson arriving on Wednesday from East Washington University.

Waikato increased their hold at the top of the table, unbeaten after seven games and easily containing bottom of the ladder Otago 110-82.

Nelson, on their home court, thwarted a late bid by North Harbour to beat the Kings 83-77. Canterbury defeated the Kings 83-73 yesterday, meaning North Harbour's prospects of making the top four are bleak.

Palmerston North had to go into extra time to cause an upset in Wellington yesterday, defeating the Saints 95-87.

The Saints, who are ranked second behind Waikato, were locked at 81-all with the Jets at fulltime but were unable to match the determination that the Jets showed in extra time.