By MURRAY McKINNON
The Waikato Titans bounced back from their first loss of the season against Otago on Saturday to take the Canterbury Rams apart 103-82 in Christchurch yesterday.
The Titans cemented their lead in the Burger King National Basketball League standings with 22 points.
The Auckland Stars, with one extra game
played, are second on 20.
Prem Krishna was outstanding for Waikato, with two three-pointers in the first half and a game total of 20.
Glen Joe enjoyed one of his best games of the season, scoring 19.
Canterbury were ahead 7-4 at the start, but it was their only period of glory in front of a home crowd of 2500.
The Titans led 26-21 at the end of the quarter, 48-41 at the half and 79-61 after the third quarter.
John Whorton, who has averaged 34 a game, was held to just 24 for the Rams.
Canterbury now slip to the bottom of the table.
The Nuggets ended the Titans' 10-game winning start to the season. This is the third year in a row that Otago have beaten Waikato at home.
Last year the score was 90-79, and in 2001, 99-97. Both years Waikato went on to win the league title and Otago wound up at the foot of the table.
Mike Pegues (36) led the scoring for Otago, with support from Mark Dickel (27). Nat Connell shot 23 for Waikato.
The sesson is all but over for the Harbour Heat after a close encounter with Hawkes Bay.
Harbour held on in the final quarter, but it was poor shooting from the free-throw line that told in the end, the Hawks winning 97-94.
The Hawks were delighted with the win, coming off a disappointing loss to Auckland on Friday.
Paul Henare and Aidan Daley top-scored for the Hawks with 22.
John Smith came away with 19 for Harbour and Valance McCarthy 18.
A third-quarter blitz launched Manawatu to a 98-74 win over Taranaki. Manawatu are third in the standings and have strengthened their chance of making the playoffs for the second successive year.
David Cooper again was the standout player for Manawatu with 27 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks. Link Abrams scored 31 for Taranaki.
