Canterbury unbeaten

Press, 26 April 1988, Page 36

Canterbury unbeaten

Canterbury maintained its unbeaten three-match record for the season and a share of the lead in the Countrywide national men’s basketball league : competition with a comfortable 10393 win over Hawke's Bay at Napier on Saturday evening. Four teams are now unbeaten, Canterbury, Saints (Wellington), New Plymouth and North Shore. Nelson dropped two games at the week-end,, both by narrow margins; On Saturday, Waitemata defeated the Nelson side 95-32, and Hawke’s Bay had another three-point advantage yesterday, 73-70. Canterbury always held the upper hand against Hawke’s Bay, leading 53-45 at half-time and not being under real pressure in the last quarter.! Its captain, Clyde Huntley, had an outstanding game with 36 points, including seven three pointers, wlhile fellow American, Kenneth Perskins, scored 18, John Rademakers 15, Graham Timms 12 and Andy Bennett and John Hill, eight each. The Canterbury coach, Gary Pettis, was pleased with the performance. “The players are now becoming more confident,” he! said, “and it is showing in! their play.” Saints relied bn superior defence to l down a game Waikato side 87-78 in Wellington bn Saturday.

Allowed nowhere near the freedom it )was in the first two rounds of the competition, when it easily topped 100 in scoring comfortable wins. Saints put its big men

to task to survive its sternest test to date. j They proved equal to the! task of containing the. Waikato centre, Ffrank Smith, held to 12 points, and fellow American Carl Gols-! ton, who managed just 10 (while occupied with countering Saints' piaymaking guard, Kenny McFaddejn. Waikato showed no respect in an aggressive man-to-man approach which brought it a 42-41 first-half lead. j It came out in the second half set for further tattle, but was surprised t>y a spurt of running offence led by the Saints forward, John, Saker. He shot eight c -ucial points, which Saints defended until the final blower. The strength of fello *■ forward Peter Pokai then came to the fore as the :lamp went on. Waikato’s Glen; Di nham was an unrelenting (fotice for his team, topping its scoring with 29 points. Hiti contribution was matched by the Saints American; forward, Kerry Boagni, who j though decidedly subduejd by the presence of Smith, took man of the match honour; with his 29-point haul, j McFadden scored 21, with Saker and Pokaii contributing a valuable 27 between them. New Plymouth fought back from a six-point halftime deficit to master Auckland 85-73 in New; Plymouth. Standouts for the | locals, were American forwards Jacques Tuz and Angelo Hill, who overpowered their opposites in the second spell.

North Shore rambled to an 88-81 win over Ponsonby, badly suffering the loss of the offensive kingpin, Ronnie Joyner. In his absence there was no one to capitalise on the strong defensive work of Benny Anthony and his fellow workhorses.) Results.—Saturday: | New Plymouth 85 (J. Tuz 24, W. Adams 23. A. Hili 20) Auckland 73. (T. Bowers 18, K. Colbert 15, T. Smith 15, B. Vaetoe 11). Half-time: )37-44. North Shore 88 (T. Webster 30, L. Jackson 20, J. Faiumu 13) Ponsonby 81 (B. Anthony 26, P. Ogilvy 13, S. Voung 12). Half-time: 49-38. Canterbury 103 (C. Huntley 36, K. Perkins 20, J. Rademakers 15) Hawke's Bay 93 (J. Maere 28, W. Burton 127, E. Clarke 12). Half-time:, 53-45. Saints 87 (K. Boagni j? 9, K. McFadden 22, J. Saker 16, P. Pokai II) Waikato 78 (G. Denham 28, F. Smith 12, E. Howard 12, C. Golston 10). Half-time: 41-42. Waitemata 85 (L. Daniels 24, J.,Welch 22, T. Biair 20, W. Meehl 15) Lucas Media Nelson i 92 (T. Bradley 42, R. McKay 31). Half-time: 50-45. i ; Monday.—Hawke’s Bay 73 (E. Clarke 20, D. Smith 15, W. Burton 12) Nelson 70 (C. Bradiev 28, R. McKay 21, N. Costley 12). Half-time: 46-30.

STANDINGS P W L F 1 |A Pt N.Plym. 3 3 0 266 205 6 Saints 3 3 0 391 256 6 Canty 3 3 0 296 258 6 N.Shore 3 3 0 260 237 6 Waite. 3 2 I 287 285 4 Ponsonb v 3 1 2 249 271 2 Hawke’s 4 1 3 314 345 2 Nelson 5 1 4 406 451 2 Waikato 3 0 3 242 '260 0 Auck. 4 0 4 317 370 0