Try-hard Taranaki can't keep up with Jones boy

Taranaki Mountain Airs' Dane Brooks about to nail a slam dunk early in the preseason clash with the Manawatu Jets at Wanganui's Springvale Stadium on Saturday. Photo/Bevan Conley

The Breakers Manawatu Jets have made a good buy in American college graduate Paul Jones, as it was their import's cool play in the final quarter which lifted them to a 92-88 win in their preseason hitout over the Good Home Taranaki Mountain Airs at Springvale Stadium on Saturday.

In a game with a few teething troubles for both the teams, the Jets rotated their lesser-known talents as promised, which meant for much of the game they were trailing a Taranaki outfit that lacked depth in firepower but certainly not enthusiasm.

While the Jets squad remained temperate on the sidelines, the Mountain Airs, relying heavily on their few remaining veterans in Dane Brooks, Brad Anderson and inspiring captain Aaron Bailey-Nowell, approached the match with a ton of boisterous intensity.

But having cooled the afterburners for most of the first half, and thus given up a five-point lead after two quarters, the Jets let the well-rested Jones kick it into overdrive, as the speedy American went swiftly to the hole to nail the layup or draw the free throws with Taranaki's Kaye McKee fouled out of the match.

Taranaki also let themselves down late in the third quarter when Bailey-Nowell was taking a breather, missing a series of relatively simple bucket attempts as their five point advantage flipped to a seven point deficit.

Brooks provided the game's first highlight with a sweet dunk to give Taranaki an early 6-2 advantage, while Jets veteran Matt Te Huna found his team's best offence came from turnovers on the breakaway.

Taranaki managed to hit a few good bombs to move themselves from 11-11 to another six point lead, before Anderson signalled the end of a good quarter by hitting a three-pointer, 31-26.

Defence tightened up to start the next period as both teams were forced down to the end of their shot clocks the referees calling Taranaki elbows, helping the Jets to a quick 37-31 turnaround with the Mountain Airs scrambling for a time out.

Much as he did during the HoopNation tournament on the same court last year, Bailey-Nowell took control of the situation and led his team to the basket as Anderson and Brooks both grabbed dunks for a 50-45 advantage come halftime.

Jets players Arthur Trousdell, formally of the Wellington Saints, and Paul Bristol were frustrated as they had a running battle with the Taranaki defence.

But with the key Mountain Airs veterans rotating out, Manawatu capitalised on the Taranaki rookie player's turnovers to score on the breakaways, noses going back ahead 64-61.

Troy McLean and Trousdell uncorked the Jets' play of the day, with McLean hearing the call and putting up the high ball for a big Trousdell alley-oop dunk. In reply, Taranaki dropped off four goal attempts in a row to trail 68-63.

Having experimented enough, the Jets' coaching staff let Jones do his thing against a tiring Taranaki defence. Along with Te Huna finding more openings, the Jets pair extended the advantage to 81-71.

However, the Mountain Airs would not go away quietly, with Anderson and Bailey-Nowell combining to sink a few while Nash Oh became a go-to man after landing a three-pointer to tie it up 86-86.

But it proved to be the end of their nervous energy, as Bailey-Nowell took a hard spill on his knee at the same time Jones was asserting himself on proceedings coolly shooting through traffic or drawing the Taranaki foul to put his team four points out of reach with seconds remaining on the clock.

Turn to Page 26 for the results of the second half of the weekend double header, played in Hawera yesterday.