Daishon Knight had scored 12 points by halftime and exploded for 17 more in the final two quarters, helping the Jets to their first win of the NBL season. Photo / Lewis Gardner
Daishon Knight had scored 12 points by halftime and exploded for 17 more in the final two quarters, helping the Jets to their first win of the NBL season. Photo / Lewis Gardner
The Manawatū Jets have been propelled to their first 2019 NBL season win after classy performances from starters Daishon Knight and Wally Ellenson.
Knight and Ellenson burned the reigning champion Southland Sharks, scoring 29 and 33 points respectively, at Springvale Stadium this afternoon in the 104-100 boilover.
The Jets comebackvictory featured a frantic finish in which they called a timeout with 29 seconds remaining while clinging to a one point lead.
Following the inbound pass, the Jets worked up court and found Shane Temara who netted for two before the Sharks rushed back at them.
A blocked shot sent the ball flying back to the Sharks new American import, guard Jeremy Kendle who missed a three pointer to tie it up.
The ball landed in the hands of Rangimarie Mita, who had played minimal minutes for the Jets, and he was fouled, suddenly finding himself in the most serious of situations to make the game safe.
Wally Ellenson was huge for the Jets, scoring six points in a row during the fourth quarter and leading the Manawatū men to victory. Photo / Lewis Gardner
Mita went to the free throw line with his team leading 103-100. The crowd gasped as his first shot missed, but erupted when the second swished through the net.
Sharks guard Jarrad Weeks missed a final effort for three, but it did not matter where the ball went and the Jets celebrated a hard-earned fourth round win.
Manawatū Jets coach Tim McTamney said his team made adjustments at halftime and that is why they were able to win.
"We got a bit tougher. We weren't prepared to let them jump all over us. We just played hard and Daishon hitting some shots didn't hurt either," McTamney said.
"They're shots we know he can make, we see it every night. He made good decisions and hit a couple of really tough ones. That's why we've got him here."
Knight had the hot hand from the start, leading the way for the Jets with 12 points at halftime, however, it was a much different looking game at that stage.
The Sharks were leading 53-44 on the back of solid performances from Dominique Kelman-Poto and Kendle, who was outstanding in scoring 21.
The Sharks big men were able to lose the Jets defenders regularly, allowing the distributors to find them in open space, where they made easy buckets.
They also dominated the boards, outmuscling and out-rebounding the Jets 29-20 at the half.
After McTameny's halftime talk, the Jets came out firing in the third quarter with three pointers to Ellenson and Haize Walker, who was brilliant off the bench.
They cut the Sharks lead to 76-70 by the start of the fourth quarter, and from there the Jets form only got better as Ellenson and Knight could not miss.
At one stage Ellenson nailed three consecutive shots, all off great defensive plays by the Jets, who did not allow one back for the Sharks throughout.
McTamney said Ellenson, who is the brother of NBA player, New York Knick Henry Ellenson, was his player of the night.
"We know what we get from him every night. You get maximum effort, you get a guy who does what he's asked to do and who's confident in his own ability.
"He'll knock down shots, he'll make hustle plays and he'll get offensive rebounds. He did all of those things tonight."
The win leaves the Jets eighth on the ladder as they prepare to meet the unbeaten competition-leading Wellington Saints at 7pm this Saturday at Springvale Stadium.
