Basketball New Zealand

Pistons guard Jason Crowe (Photosport)

Brian Wethers did the damage for the first 38 minutes but the final two minutes were all about Jason Crowe.

The American guard tandem produced when it mattered as the Waikato Pistons survived a scare from the Marley Canterbury Rams on Friday night in round 11 of the Dominion Finance NBL, winning 83-77.

Wethers finished with a game-high 35 points and Crowe scored Waikato’s last eight points and had two steals in the final two minutes, including a steal and go-ahead lay-up play with 1:44 remaining, as the Pistons became the first team to 10 wins.

Waikato trailed by seven points with 4:37 to play but held the Rams scoreless for the next three minutes, with a Puke Lenden three and a Wethers lay-up getting the competition leaders back within one.

Crowe’s steal from Rams point guard Jeremy Kench and lay-up gave the Pistons their first lead since late in the third quarter, then made another lay-up and picked Dave Langrell’s pocket when Canterbury had possession with a chance to tie or go ahead in the last 20 seconds. He then iced the game with four free-throws to finish with 20 points.

Wethers shot 15-of-24 from the field and added eight rebounds, while Lenden had nine points.
In his head-to-head with Kench, Crowe won the decision, adding eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals to his points total, while Kench had 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal.

Centre John Whorton shared the team-high with Kench, posting a double-double with 12 rebounds, while American forward Joey Harrell had 11 points and nine rebounds.

While on Auckland’s North Shore, an under-manned Appliance Shed Harbour Heat scored a 75-64 win over the CPS Nelson Giants, backing up from a win over the Youthtown Auckland Stars 24 hours earlier.

The Heat were without their two leading scorers, Australian forward Oscar Forman (shoulder) and Kiwi guard Hayden Allen (stomach virus) but their balanced rotation saw others step-up, as they improved to 8-5.

Australian centre Tim Behrendorff top-scored with 19 points and nine rebounds, Daryl Cartwright had 18 points, Mika Vukona 14 points and nine boards, and point guard Jarrod Kenny 13 points and nine rebounds. Dan Ryan, another Harbour bench player to step-up, recorded seven points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Harbour used an 18-4 spurt in the second quarter to take a 12-point lead with 2:38 before halftime and Nelson were not able to close without striking distance until a Phill Jones three with 1:14 left got them within six points.

The Heat dominated the rebounding battle, 53-29, and pulled down 17 offensive boards, turning those into an 18-2 second-chance points advantage.

American Michael Harrison had 18 points and six rebounds for Nelson, while fellow import Jamil Terrell and Jones posted 13 points, Terrell adding seven rebounds in a losing effort.

Dominion Finance NBL Round 11

At The Furnace, North Shore
Appliance Shed Harbour Heat 75 (Tim Behrendorff 19, Daryl Cartwright 18, Mika Vukona 14, Jarrod Kenny 13) CPS Nelson Giants 64 (Michael Harrison 18, Phill Jones 13, Jamil Terrell 13, Michael Fitchett 10)
1Q: 18-10
HT: 42-31
3Q: 62-49
FT: 75-64
Heat vs Giants Box Score (19KB html)

At Cowles Stadium, Christchurch
Waikato Pistons 83 (Brian Wethers 35, Jason Crowe 20) Marley Canterbury Rams 77 (John Whorton 17, Jeremy Kench 17, Joey Harrell 11)
1Q: 27-26
HT: 40-46
3Q: 62-64
FT: 83-77
Rams vs Pistons Box Score (21KB html)

Round 11 games, scores and standings