NBL Round 10 (Regular Season): Rams beat Saints in the most crucial game of the week

Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Wellington. Second ranked Rams faced 4th ranked Saints. Guests from Christchurch (9-2) smashed host Saints (7-3) 107-84. Rams dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Saints' 38. Australian Lachlan Olbrich (208-2003, college: UC Riverside) fired a double-double by scoring 22 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. American forward KJ Buffen (203-2000, college: UAB, agency: Diamond Sports) chipped in 26 points and 6 rebounds. Australian guard Ben Ayre (184-1995, college: Newman) produced 21 points and 7 assists for lost side. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Rams have an impressive eight-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains second position with 9-2 record having 2 victories less than leader Tuatara. Saints at the other side keep the fourth place with three games lost. Rams are looking forward to face Hawks (#8) in Tamatea in the next round where they are favorite. Saints will play on the road against the league's leader Tuatara (#1) in Auckland and are hoping to prove to their fans that the loss was just an accident.
Sharks can celebrate finally their first win this season after 11 consecutive losses. They used home court advantage to defeat Nuggets (4-7) 99-81. Worth to mention a great performance of the former international forward Brayden Inger (203-1999, agency: VM Hoops Agency) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 22 points and 12 rebounds. Caleb Asberry contributed with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Australian swingman Ben Henshall (195-2004) replied with 20 points and 7 rebounds for Nuggets. Nuggets' coach rotated twelve players seeing no chance for a win. Sharks maintains eleventh position with 1-11 record. It was Nuggets' fourth loss in a row. They dropped to the ninth place with seven games lost. Sharks will play against higher ranked Bulls (#5) in Pukekohe in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Nuggets will play on the road against Jets (#10) in Palmerston North and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Leader Tuatara delivered the eleventh victory on Friday night. This time they beat 9th ranked Giants (5-7) 99-81 in Auckland. Robert Loe had a double-double by scoring 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners. At the losing side Kobe Langley responded with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Tuatara (11-2) have an impressive nine-game winning streak. They maintain first position. Loser Giants dropped to the sixth place with seven games lost. They share the position with Whai. Tuatara will meet at home Saints (#4) in the next round. Giants will play against Hawks and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Rest of the games of round 10 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Hawks were crushed by Airs in New Plymouth 103-76. Whai lost to defending champion Rams at home 72-86. Whai won against Jets on the opponent's court 77-75. Bulls unfortunately lost to Giants in a home game 95-105.
The best stats of 10th round was 30 points and 8 rebounds by Daniel Grida of Giants.



Airs - Hawks 103-76

There was no surprise in New Plymouth where 6th ranked Hawks (4-6) were crushed by fourth ranked Airs (8-3) 103-76 on Wednesday. Airs dominated down low during the game scoring 66 of its points in the paint compared to Hawks' 44. They outrebounded Hawks 55-22 including a 16-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. Airs looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. Australian power forward Samson Froling (212-2000, college: Creighton) had a double-double by scoring 27 points and 16 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and international guard Flynn Cameron (196-2000, college: UC Riverside) chipped in 16 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists during the contest. Five Airs players scored in double figures. Airs' coach felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the losing side American guard Isaiah Moore (185-2000, college: USA) responded with 26 points and 4 assists and his fellow American import forward Luke Sutherland (201, college: LeMoyne) scored 16 points. Airs have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to third place. Loser Hawks dropped to the eighth position with six games lost. Airs will meet at home Nuggets (#9) in the next round where they are favorite. Hawks will play against the league's second-placed Rams in Christchurch and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Hawks: I.Moore 26+2reb+4ast, L.Sutherland 16+4reb+1ast, J.Ngatai 10+5reb+2ast, J.Kenny 9+3reb+3ast, J.Roberts 6+5reb, J.Ball 5
Airs: S.Froling 27+16reb+1ast, F.Cameron 16+6reb+6ast, T.Cameron 13+7reb+1ast, C.Davison 11+7reb+3ast, M.McCarron 10+5reb+9ast, E.Minnie 10+5reb

Whai - Rams 72-86

No shocking result in a game in Tauranga where second ranked Rams (9-2) defeated 7th ranked Whai (5-7) 86-72 on Thursday. Rams dominated down low during the game scoring 46 of its points in the paint compared to Whai's 24 and made 19-of-22 free shots (86.4 percent) during the game, while Whai only scored three points from the stripe. Australian Lachlan Olbrich (208-2003, college: UC Riverside) scored 21 points and 9 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and American guard MJ Walker (196-1998, college: FSU) chipped in 18 points during the contest. At the losing side the former international guard Kruz Perrott-Hunt (192-2000, college: S.Dakota) responded with 20 points and 4 assists and American forward Phil Carr (206-1995, college: Morgan St.) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds. Five Rams and four Whai players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Rams have an impressive eight-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains second position with 9-2 record having 2 victories less than leader Tuatara. Newly promoted Whai dropped to the sixth place with seven games lost. They share the position with Giants. Rams will meet at home Hawks (#8) in the next round where they are favorite. Whai will play against Saints and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Whai: K.Perrott-Hunt 20+3reb+4ast, P.Carr 14+10reb+1ast, J.Thompson 13+2reb, D.Brooke 12+8reb+1ast, D.Holland 8+6reb+4ast, J.Bezzant 5+7ast
Rams: L.Olbrich 21+9reb+1ast, M.Walker 18+3reb+3ast, K.Buffen 14+6reb+1ast, T.Britt 12+6reb+3ast, W.Brown 11+6reb+2ast, K.Isaac 5+3reb+3ast

Tuatara - Giants 99-81

Leader Tuatara delivered the eleventh victory on Friday night. This time they beat 9th ranked Giants (5-7) 99-81 in Auckland. Tuatara made 19-of-21 free shots (90.5 percent) during the game. The former international power forward Robert Loe (211-1991, college: St.Louis) had a double-double by scoring 21 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners and the former international forward Thomas Vodanovich (201-1994, college: JMU) chipped in 30 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. Five Tuatara players scored in double figures. At the losing side American guard Kobe Langley (185-2000, college: UNCG) responded with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists and Australian swingman Daniel Grida (195-1998) scored 17 points and 6 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Tuatara (11-2) have an impressive nine-game winning streak. They maintain first position. Loser Giants dropped to the sixth place with seven games lost. They share the position with Whai. Tuatara will meet at home Saints (#4) in the next round. Giants will play against Hawks and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Giants: K.Langley 25+8reb+6ast, D.Grida 17+6reb+1ast, T.Akwuba 16+5reb, A.McNaught 8+2reb+4ast, D.Fotu 5+4reb+1ast, N.Davidson 2+1ast
Tuatara: T.Vodanovich 30+5reb+2ast, R.Loe 21+13reb+4ast, C.Webster 12+4reb+5ast, B.Iuli 11+2reb+2ast, C.Gliddon 11+10reb+2ast, R.Te Rangi 10+5reb+3ast

Sharks - Nuggets 99-81

Sharks can celebrate finally their first win this season after 11 consecutive losses. They used home court advantage to defeat Nuggets (4-7) 99-81. Worth to mention a great performance of the former international forward Brayden Inger (203-1999, agency: VM Hoops Agency) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 22 points and 12 rebounds. American guard Caleb Asberry (190-2000, college: OK State) contributed with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Five Sharks players scored in double figures. Australian swingman Ben Henshall (195-2004) replied with 20 points and 7 rebounds and guard Dontae Russo-Nance (190-2005) added 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the effort for Nuggets. Nuggets' coach rotated twelve players seeing no chance for a win. Sharks maintains eleventh position with 1-11 record. It was Nuggets' fourth loss in a row. They dropped to the ninth place with seven games lost. Sharks will play against higher ranked Bulls (#5) in Pukekohe in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Nuggets will play on the road against Jets (#10) in Palmerston North and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Nuggets: B.Henshall 20+7reb+3ast, D.Russo-Nance 19+5reb+5ast, K.Lawrence 15+7reb+1ast, Z.Darko-Kelly 8+6reb+1ast, J.Andrew 8+5reb+1ast, J.Aitcheson 3
Sharks: B.Inger 22+12reb+2ast, C.Asberry 21+5reb+4ast, A.Burton 20+5reb+2ast, C.McRae 13+10reb+2ast, M.Lotts 12+6reb+3ast, C.Robb 9+2reb+5ast

Saints - Rams 84-107

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Wellington. Second ranked Rams faced 4th ranked Saints. Guests from Christchurch (9-2) smashed host Saints (7-3) 107-84. Rams dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Saints' 38. Australian Lachlan Olbrich (208-2003, college: UC Riverside) fired a double-double by scoring 22 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. American forward KJ Buffen (203-2000, college: UAB, agency: Diamond Sports) chipped in 26 points and 6 rebounds. Four Rams players scored in double figures. Australian guard Ben Ayre (184-1995, college: Newman) produced 21 points and 7 assists and the former international forward Tohi Smith-Milner (205-1995, college: Polk State CC) added 21 points and 8 rebounds respectively for lost side. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Rams have an impressive eight-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains second position with 9-2 record having 2 victories less than leader Tuatara. Saints at the other side keep the fourth place with three games lost. Rams are looking forward to face Hawks (#8) in Tamatea in the next round where they are favorite. Saints will play on the road against the league's leader Tuatara (#1) in Auckland and are hoping to prove to their fans that the loss was just an accident.
Top scorers:
Saints: T.Smith-Milner 21+8reb, B.Ayre 21+4reb+7ast, L.Mayen 15+3reb+4ast, M.Benlevi 9+7reb+1ast, R.Dougall-Mita 6+3reb, T.Plumtree 4+1reb
Rams: K.Buffen 26+6reb+1ast, M.Walker 24+4reb+2ast, L.Olbrich 22+10reb+3ast, T.Britt 17+7ast, K.Isaac 7+3reb, M.Darling 5+3reb+3ast

Jets - Whai 75-77

Rather expected game in Palmerston North where 10th ranked Jets (1-10) were edged by seventh ranked Whai (5-7) 77-75 on Sunday. American forward Phil Carr (206-1995, college: Morgan St.) had a double-double by scoring 14 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners and guard Te Tuhi Lewis (190-2003) chipped in 23 points during the contest. At the losing side power forward James Moors (206-2000, college: Colorado St.) responded with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 14 rebounds and American swingman Kahlil Whitney (198-2001, college: Kentucky, agency: Players Group) scored 17 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Whai moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Giants. Jets lost ninth consecutive game. They keep the tenth position with ten games lost. Whai will meet at home higher ranked Saints (#4) in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Jets will play against Nuggets (#9) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Jets: K.Whitney 17+9reb+1ast, J.Moors 17+14reb, M.Heron 14+4reb+6ast, L.Judd 10+2reb+2ast, Q.Lane 9+2reb+3ast, C.Scott 8+2reb+3ast
Whai: T.Tuhi Lewis 23+2reb, D.Holland 14+3reb+5ast, J.Bezzant 14+4reb, P.Carr 14+10reb+4ast, C.Hopoi 4+10reb, D.Brooke 4+10reb

Bulls - Giants 95-105

There was a surprise result in Pukekohe where ninth ranked Giants (5-7) beat higher ranked Bulls (7-4) 105-95 on Sunday. Giants made 24-of-31 free shots (77.4 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Australian swingman Daniel Grida (195-1998) scored 30 points and 8 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and American guard Kobe Langley (185-2000, college: UNCG) chipped in 23 points and 5 assists during the contest. At the losing side American guard Luther Muhammad (190-1999, college: Arizona St.) responded with 26 points and his fellow American import guard Joshua Scott (185-1998, college: Thomas Univ.) scored 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Giants moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Whai. Loser Bulls keep the fifth position with four games lost. Giants will meet at home Hawks (#8) in the next round. Bulls will play against Sharks in Southland and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Bulls: L.Muhammad 26+4reb+3ast, S.Timmins 18+4reb+4ast, J.Scott 14+7reb+7ast, E.Rusbatch 14+1reb+2ast, D.Kelman-Poto 11+13reb+2ast, I.Davidson 10+4reb
Giants: D.Grida 30+8reb+3ast, K.Langley 23+4reb+5ast, D.Fotu 22+4reb+4ast, T.Akwuba 11+5reb+3ast, S.Dempster 10+4reb, A.McNaught 4+2reb+4ast