NBL Round 9: Rams beat Huskies by two after a very close game

Here is the last round review presented by ESL.

The most exciting game of round 9 in the NBL took place in Hobart. This derby game ended with only two-point home defeat of 5th ranked Huskies (6-6) to third ranked Rams (9-2) 68-66 on Saturday evening. Rams forced 19 Huskies turnovers. It was a good game for the former international center Mike Karena (208-93, college: Wright St.) who led his team to a victory with 17 points and 7 rebounds. American forward Isaiah Wilkins (203-95, college: Virginia) contributed with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Naturalized American forward Marcel Jones (203-85, college: Oregon St.) answered with 20 points and 9 rebounds for Huskies. Rams have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain third place with 9-2 record having just two points less than leader Saints. Newly promoted Huskies keep the fifth position with six games lost. Rams will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Huskies will play on the road against Sharks (#4) in Southland and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
NBL top team - Saints (11-0) managed to deliver another win. This time they beat seventh ranked Mountain Airs (2-10) in Wellington 83-74. International guard Shea Ili (184-92) stepped up and scored 19 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners and Nick Kay chipped in 11 points and 13 rebounds. The best for the losing side was swingman Dane Brooks (191-96) with 23 points and 8 rebounds (on 10-of-11 shooting from the field). Mountain Airs' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Undefeated Saints have an impressive series of eleven victories in a row. They maintain first place with 11-0 record. Mountain Airs lost fourth consecutive game. They dropped to the eighth position with ten games lost. Saints will play against Jets (#7) in Palmerston North in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Mountain Airs will have a break next round.
The game in Hobart was also quite interesting. Third ranked Rams (9-2) played at the court of 5th ranked Huskies (6-6). Rams defeated Huskies 81-70 on Thursday. Emmett Naar nailed 16 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists for the winning side. Jalen Billups came up with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 13 rebounds for Huskies in the defeat. The victory was the third consecutive win for Rams. They maintain third place with 9-2 record having just two points less than leader Saints. Newly promoted Huskies keep the fifth position with six games lost. Rams will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Huskies will play against Sharks (#4) in Southland and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game between fourth ranked Sharks (7-5) and 8th ranked Rangers (2-11) in Southland ended with biggest points difference. Sharks outscored guests from Auckland 115-83. The best player for the winners was Todd Blanchfield who scored 27 points and 9 rebounds. Sharks' coach felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Defending champion maintains fourth place with 7-5 record. Rangers lost their seventh game in a row. They dropped to the bottom position with 11 games lost. Sharks' next round opponent will be Huskies (#5) in Hobart. Rangers will play at home against Giants (#6) and hope to win that game.

There were no big surprises in other games of round 9: Rangers were smashed by Giants on the road 102-81. Jets won against Airs on its own court 92-75. Jets were outscored by Hawks in Tamatea 106-79.
The most impressive performance of 9th round was 25 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists by Brandon Bowman of Hawks.

Giants - Rangers 102-81

No shocking result in a game when sixth ranked Giants (4-8) crushed bottom-ranked Rangers (2-11) in Stoke 102-81. They outrebounded Rangers 50-29 including a 37-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was Australian forward Rhys Vague (206-96) who had a double-double by scoring 26 points and 11 rebounds. American guard Jordair Jett (185-91, college: St.Louis) chipped in 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Four Giants players scored in double figures. Giants' coach felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was American guard Tim Quarterman (198-94, college: LSU) who recorded 39 points (!!!), 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals and Nigerian-American center Nnanna Egwu (211-92, college: Illinois) added 19 points and 10 rebounds respectively. Giants maintains sixth place with 4-8 record. Rangers lost their seventh game in a row. They dropped to the bottom position with 11 games lost. Giants' next round opponent will be again bottom-ranked Rangers (#9) in Auckland.
Top scorers:
Giants: R.Vague 26+11reb+3ast, J.Jett 20+5reb+5ast, T.Harrison 16+7reb+1ast, K.Perrott-Hunt 10+4reb+6ast, A.Granger 9+1reb+1ast, D.Grida 9+5reb
Rangers: T.Quarterman 39+5reb+5ast, N.Egwu 19+10reb+3ast, D.Brooke 8+2reb, J.Gerrand 7+1ast, M.Watene 5+1reb+1ast, T.Scott 2+3reb

Huskies - Rams 70-81

The game in Hobart was also quite interesting. Third ranked Rams (9-2) played at the court of 5th ranked Huskies (6-6). Rams defeated Huskies 81-70 on Thursday. Australian guard Emmett Naar (185-94, college: St.Mary's, CA) nailed 16 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists for the winning side and American forward Isaiah Wilkins (203-95, college: Virginia) accounted for 18 points and 10 rebounds. American power forward Jalen Billups (200-92, college: NKU, agency: Haylett Sports) came up with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 13 rebounds and naturalized American forward Marcel Jones (203-85, college: Oregon St.) added 15 points and 7 rebounds respectively for Huskies in the defeat. Four Huskies players scored in double figures. The victory was the third consecutive win for Rams. They maintain third place with 9-2 record having just two points less than leader Saints. Newly promoted Huskies keep the fifth position with six games lost. Rams will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Huskies will play against Sharks (#4) in Southland and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Rams: C.Gliddon 18+4reb+3ast, I.Wilkins 18+10reb+1ast, E.Naar 16+9reb+6ast, T.Tolovae 10+1reb+1ast, S.Smith 9+4reb, J.Janssen 9+6reb
Huskies: J.Billups 17+13reb+1ast, M.Jones 15+7reb+1ast, T.Nichols 13+2reb+1ast, J.Vandenberg 11+6reb, C.Moller 9+8reb+4ast, B.Michaels 4+3reb+1ast

Saints - Airs 83-74

NBL top team - Saints (11-0) managed to deliver another win. This time they beat seventh ranked Mountain Airs (2-10) in Wellington 83-74. Saints made 16-of-20 charity shots (80.0 percent) during the game. They also forced 21 Mountain Airs turnovers. International guard Shea Ili (184-92) stepped up and scored 19 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners and Australian power forward Nick Kay (206-92, college: MSU Denver) chipped in 11 points and 13 rebounds. Five Saints players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was swingman Dane Brooks (191-96) with 23 points and 8 rebounds (on 10-of-11 shooting from the field) and forward Xavier Shaw (203-94, college: MSU-Northern) scored 13 points and 7 rebounds. Mountain Airs' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Saints have an impressive series of eleven victories in a row. They maintain first place with 11-0 record. Mountain Airs lost fourth consecutive game. They dropped to the eighth position with ten games lost. Saints will play against Jets (#7) in Palmerston North in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Mountain Airs will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Saints: S.Ili 19+7reb+7ast, J.Ngatai 15+1reb, R.Te Rangi 14+1reb+2ast, T.Abercrombie 12+6reb, N.Kay 11+13reb+1ast, R.Loe 10+6reb+7ast
Airs: D.Brooks 23+8reb+2ast, X.Shaw 13+7reb, A.Bailey-Nowell 8+7reb+4ast, H.O'Riley 8+1reb+8ast, J.Cousin 8+1reb+1ast, C.Early 4+6reb+2ast

Jets - Airs 92-75

There was a minor upset when their close opponent Mountain Airs (2-10) lost to seventh ranked Jets (2-9) in Palmerston North 75-92. The best player for the winners was American forward Kuran Iverson (206-95, college: URI) who had a double-double by scoring 20 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. His fellow American import guard Daishon Knight (185-91, college: Illinois St.) chipped in 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Four Jets players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was swingman Dane Brooks (191-96) who recorded 13 points and 8 rebounds and American forward Chris Early (200-88, college: Chattanooga) added 9 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Jets maintains seventh place with 2-9 record. Mountain Airs lost their fourth game in a row. They dropped to the eighth position with ten games lost. Jets' next round opponent will be league's leader Saints in Wellington and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Mountain Airs will play at home against the league's leader Saints (#1) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Jets: W.Ellenson 22+5reb+1ast, K.Iverson 20+14reb+5ast, D.Knight 19+6reb+5ast, T.Samuel 14+6reb, H.Walker 8+2reb+4ast, S.Temara 7+2reb+1ast
Airs: D.Brooks 13+8reb+1ast, D.Raukawa 12+2reb+1ast, C.Early 9+5reb+4ast, A.Bailey-Nowell 7+5reb+2ast, H.O'Riley 6+3ast, J.Cousin 6+1reb+3ast

Sharks - Rangers 115-83

The game between fourth ranked Sharks (7-5) and 8th ranked Rangers (2-11) in Southland ended with biggest points difference. Sharks outscored guests from Auckland 115-83. Sharks made 17-of-20 charity shots (85.0 percent) during the game. Sharks outrebounded Rangers 54-32 including a 41-21 advantage in defensive rebounds. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 24 assists. The best player for the winners was Australian swingman Todd Blanchfield (200-91) who scored 27 points and 9 rebounds. Forward Dominique Kelman-Poto (201-94, college: Adelphi) chipped in a double-double by scoring 20 points and 14 rebounds. Five Sharks players scored in double figures. Sharks' coach felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was American guard Tim Quarterman (198-94, college: LSU) who recorded 32 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals and guard Lesae Coe (188-98) added 15 points respectively. Defending champion maintains fourth place with 7-5 record. Rangers lost their seventh game in a row. They dropped to the bottom position with 11 games lost. Sharks' next round opponent will be Huskies (#5) in Hobart. Rangers will play at home against Giants (#6) and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Sharks: T.Blanchfield 27+9reb+1ast, J.Weeks 24+3ast, D.Kelman-Poto 20+14reb+2ast, T.Vodanovich 11+7reb+1ast, A.Pledger 11+8reb+1ast, H.Harris 11+4reb+6ast
Rangers: T.Quarterman 32+7reb+4ast, C.Lesae 15+3reb+1ast, H.Hippolite 9+6reb+2ast, J.Gerrand 9+2reb+2ast, N.Egwu 8+8reb+1ast, T.Scott 8

Huskies - Rams 66-68

The most exciting game of round 9 in the NBL took place in Hobart. This derby game ended with only two-point home defeat of 5th ranked Huskies (6-6) to third ranked Rams (9-2) 68-66 on Saturday evening. Rams forced 19 Huskies turnovers. It was a good game for the former international center Mike Karena (208-93, college: Wright St.) who led his team to a victory with 17 points and 7 rebounds. American forward Isaiah Wilkins (203-95, college: Virginia) contributed with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Naturalized American forward Marcel Jones (203-85, college: Oregon St.) answered with 20 points and 9 rebounds and forward Craig Moller (203-94, agency: MKP Management) added 10 points and 16 rebounds in the effort for Huskies. Four Huskies players scored in double figures. Rams have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain third place with 9-2 record having just two points less than leader Saints. Newly promoted Huskies keep the fifth position with six games lost. Rams will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Huskies will play on the road against Sharks (#4) in Southland and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Rams: M.Karena 17+7reb+1ast, C.Gliddon 12+4reb+1ast, I.Wilkins 11+8reb+5ast, J.Janssen 8+4reb+1ast, T.Tolovae 6+5reb+1ast, A.Talma 6+3reb
Huskies: T.Nichols 22+2reb+3ast, M.Jones 20+9reb, J.Billups 12+8reb, C.Moller 10+16reb+2ast, L.Cummings 2+1reb, J.Vandenberg 0+4reb

Hawks - Jets 106-79

Rather predictable result when third ranked Hawks (10-2) rolled over 7th ranked Jets (2-9) in Tamatea 106-79. Hawks players were unselfish on offense dishing 25 assists comparing to just 10 passes made by Jets' players. The best player for the winners was American forward Brandon Bowman (205-84, college: Georgetown, agency: David Lee Services) who had a double-double by scoring 25 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists. International swingman Ethan Rusbatch (196-92, college: Lincoln Trail CC) chipped in 29 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Coach 's team controlled all game and the coach could let to play 11 players and allowed the starting five to rest. At the other side the best for losing team was American guard Daishon Knight (185-91, college: Illinois St.) who recorded 21 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and the other American import forward Kuran Iverson (206-95, college: URI) added 13 points and 15 rebounds respectively. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. The victory was the seventh consecutive win for Hawks. They moved-up to second place. Jets at the other side keep the seventh position with nine games lost. Hawks' next round opponent will be Giants (#6) in Stoke. Jets will play on the road against the league's leader Saints in Wellington and hope to win that game.
Top scorers:
Hawks: E.Rusbatch 29+6reb+6ast, B.Bowman 25+16reb+5ast, E.Singler 23+12reb+4ast, D.Prewster 13+4reb+2ast, J.Kenny 8+2reb+6ast, E.Bartlett 3+2reb
Jets: D.Knight 21+5reb+5ast, W.Ellenson 17+10reb+1ast, K.Iverson 13+15reb+3ast, S.Temara 10+6reb, J.Stubbins 8+3reb+1ast, T.Samuel 8+4reb