Basketball New Zealand

Saints guard Lindsay Tait (left) celebrates with team-mate Luke Martin (Photosport)

Perfection at home equaled a regular season title for the Century City Wellington Saints on Thursday night.

With a 96-90 win over the Youthtown Auckland Stars, the Saints locked up the regular season crown, home advantage throughout the playoffs and an undefeated 9-0 record at home in round 14 of the Dominion Finance NBL.

American forward Ernest Scott had a team-high 21 points and seven rebounds as seven Saints scored in double-figures, as they improved to 13-4, and with the Waikato Pistons 92-84 loss to the Appliance Shed Harbour Heat in Te Awamutu last night, earned the number one seed ahead of the playoffs.

Back-up import centre Kevin Owens recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Wellington, who led by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter before the Stars (8-7) closed to within two points at 90-88 with 1:33 remaining.

Starting centre Nick Horvath compiled 12 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in his head-to-head match-up with Stars centre Casey Frank, who he will likely compete with for the one naturalised spot on the Tall Blacks roster next month.

Frank kept Auckland in game in the third quarter, scoring 16 of their 28 points, and finished with 25 points, including 5-of-8 on three-point attempts, and six rebounds.

The Saints posted a perfect home record at TSB Bank Arena for the first time in franchise history, dating back to the start of the National Basketball League in 1982, while the regular season title was the Saints third, the others coming in the 1988 championship season and 2004, a year after their last NBL title.

A 13-0 run late in the second period sent the Saints into the locker room with an 11-point lead, but the Stars opening the third with a 12-3 run to pull within two points.

Wellington pulled away late in the third and early in the fourth, a 10-2 run giving them a 13-point lead, as part of a larger 22-6 run, which culminated with Scott hitting a three from the corner for an 87-70 lead with 4:07 to play.

Auckland immediately went to an aggressive full-court press, forcing turnovers and answering with 11 straight points to pull within six with 2:34 remaining, and would get within two points with 1:33 on the clock before Scott’s fourth triple and free-throws from Luke Martin, who was one of four players to score 12 points.

Behind 22 points and eight rebounds from Australian forward Oscar Forman, the Heat (11-6) helped their home semifinal chances greatly with the upset road win over the Pistons (12-5), now reeling after their third straight loss.

Guard Hayden Allen had 19 points, Australian centre Tim Behrendorff 15 points and point guard Jarrod Kenny 12 points and nine assists for Harbour, who seized control of the game with a 30-22 second quarter and maintained a double-digit lead for much of the second half.

After trailing by as many as seven points in the first period, Harbour quickly took the lead in the second and took the lead for good with 2:48 to play in the half, extending it to 14 points midway through the third and early in the fourth, and holding on down the stretch.

American back-court tandem of Jason Crowe and Brian Wethers combined for 46 points for Waikato, while Crowe was one assist off his third triple-double of the season, adding 10 rebounds and nine assists.

The win earned Harbour a playoff spot and the tiebreaker over the Pistons by one points, ensuring the battle for a home semifinal will come down to the final round of the regular season. A Heat win and Pistons loss in round 15, would see Harbour finish second.

Dominion Finance NBL Round 14

At TSB Bank Arena, Wellington
Century City Wellington Saints 96 (Ernest Scott 21, Lindsay Tait 12, Nick Horvath 12, Arthur Trousdell 12, Luke Martin 12, Brendon Polyblank 11, Kevin Owens 10) Youthtown Auckland Stars 90 (Casey Frank 25, George Baker 14, Adrian Majstrovich 14, Dillon Boucher 13, Reece Cassidy 13)
1Q: 25-21
HT: 47-36 (22-15)
3Q: 71-64 (24-28)
FT: 96-90 (25-26)
Saints vs Stars Box Score (22KB html)

At Te Awamutu Events Centre, Te Awamutu
Appliance Shed Harbour Heat 92 (Oscar Forman 22, Hayden Allen 19, Tim Behrendorff 15, Jarrod Kenny 12, Mika Vukona 11) Waikato Pistons 84 (Jason Crowe 24, Brian Wethers 22, Pero Cameron 10)
1Q: 17-19
HT: 47-41 (30-22)
3Q: 73-61 (26-20)
FT: 92-84 (19-23)
Pistons vs Heat Box Score (20KB html)

Round 14 games, scores and standings