Jets Fly To First Win
Tagged in: NBL
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The Manawatu OzJets finally got their season off the ground on Saturday night.
Forward Keith Davis had 22 points and 11 rebounds and point guard Kantrail Horton scored 18 points as the Jets recorded their first win in round four of the Dominion Finance NBL, downing Devon Dynamos Taranaki 87-78 at Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North.
Miles Pearce finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds in a powerful performance, while Stacey Lambert added 14 points and four assists, icing the game with two clutch free-throws that gave Manawatu a seven-point lead with 20sec remaining.
Manawatu, who moved to 1-3, trailed for most of the first half, behind by as many as seven points before taking their first lead of the game in the final minute of the second period.
And they never gave it back.
Taranaki pulled level at 57-57 with 3:42 to play in the third before another scoring spurt had the home side back on top at three-quarter time. The Dynamos pulled within one point twice in the final period but missed crucial free-throws down the stretch.
Kaine Hokianga scored just six points but his last points were big, a three off a Lambert assist with 30sec left giving Manawatu a five-point lead. Davis punctuated Team Green’s first win with a breakaway dunk.
The Jets took advantage of recently retired Tall Black centre Tony Rampton missing the game through injury, grabbing 18 offensive rebounds and out-scoring Taranaki 24-10 in second chance points.
Sole import, American Keith Salscheider, scored a game-high 23 points for Taranaki, who dropped to 2-3, while Ben Jeffrey had 19 points, forward Link Abrams 16 points and 16 rebounds and Aaron Nowell 14 points.
Taranaki face the Southern road double-header in round five, facing the Cartridge World Otago Nuggets on Friday and Marley Canterbury Rams next Saturday, while Manawatu sit out the week with the bye.
The Rams and Century City Wellington Saints close out round four in Wellington on Sunday afternoon, tip-off 3pm.
At Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North
Manawatu OzJets 87 (Keith Davis 22, Kantrail Horton 18, Stacey Lambert 14, Miles Pearce 14) Devon Dynamos Taranaki 78 (Keith Salscheider 23, Ben Jeffrey 19, Link Abrams 16, Aaron Nowell 14). HT: 47-45
Jets vs Dynamos Box Score (21KB html)
