Basketball New Zealand

Saints Leon Henry (Photosport)

Sam Worthington, The Dominion Post
New dad Brendon Polyblank iced it but crook-as-a-dog team-mate Leon Henry won it as the Century City Saints came back from the brink to keep their season alive against 0800 Easy LPG Hawks last night.

It was another comeback win, 80-75 after being nine points down in the NZCT National Basketball League quarterfinal at TSB Bank Arena.

The scratchy win means the Saints now travel to Nelson to play the Giants in a semifinal tomorrow night.

Up 79-75 with 10 seconds to play, first-time father Polyblank (15 points) struck the final blow on the fading Hawks by ripping the ball clear of Everard Bartlett, drawing a foul on his missed layup and making one of two free throws.

It was all part of a long day’s work for the Saints forward, who had been at Wellington Hospital with wife Caroline since 5am yesterday for the birth of his first child, Savion.

“He’s really small and came three weeks early but he’s healthy,” a beaming Polyblank said last night.

“I’m working on about two hours sleep but sometimes when you face adversity you’ve just got to keep playing.”

The Saints entered the game favourites, ranked third to Hawke’s Bay’s sixth and victorious albeit narrowly in their two previous encounters this season.

Trailing by nine entering the final quarter, the Saints gradually clawed their way back into the contest, Henry’s three regaining a 67-66 lead with 4½ minutes to play.

Henry (15 points), who like many of his team-mates has been suffering from the flu, then dunked and hit another three, dominating the closing minutes as the Hawks struggled to match the Saints’ lift in intensity.

Earlier, dynamic Saints guards Mike Efevberha (18 points) and Lindsay Tait (15 points) breathed life into a largely flat first half, which Wellington led 39-33.

Both teams were a little sloppy in the first two terms, perhaps due to finals nerves and the presence of the television cameras for the first time this year, but it left little for the crowd to get excited about a Luke Martin to Damon Thornton alley-oop dunk aside.

It was a nightmare third quarter from the Saints, outscored 28-13, giving the Hawks a 61-52 lead heading into the final term.

But some overdue passion from Henry was enough to sneak the Saints home.

Christchurch host Harbour in tonight’s second quarterfinal with the winner advancing to play defending champions Waikato.

Tuesday, June 16

At TSB Bank Arena, Wellington

Century City Saints 80 (Mike Efevberha 18, Lindsay Tait 15, Leon Henry 15) 0800 Easy LPG Bay Hawks 75 (Charles Bailey 21, Chris Daniel 14, Jeremy Kench 10), FT

Live on Sky Sport 3
Referees - Andy Thackray, Tim Brown, Raewyn Willocks
1Q: 18-16
HT: 39-33 (21-17)
3Q: 52-61 (13-28)
FT: 80-75 (28-14)

Saints v Hawks Boxscore (html 22KB)