Wethers Wows ‘Em In Palmy
Tagged in: Competitions, NBL
His back-court mate Jason Crowe may have the Player of the Week awards but Brian Wethers reminded everyone he’s the man for the Waikato Pistons on Wednesday night.
Wethers destroyed the Property Brokers Manawatu Jets at Arena Manawatu, torching them for a League-high 44 points as the Pistons came away from Palmerston North with a 109-91 win to start a busy round 12 of the Dominion Finance NBL.
The former NZ Breaker and one-time Australian NBL MVP was unstoppable, dropping 20-of-25 from the field including many easy driving baskets, 1-of-3 from distance and even left four points at the free-throw line by going 3-of-7 on his way to the highest individual score in the League this season, adding eight rebounds in the rout.
Forward Ben Hill had 25 points and point guard Crowe, who has won or shared four Player of the Weeks, went for 20 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals for Waikato, who improved to 12-2 and increased their lead over the second-placed Century City Wellington Saints to 2 ½ games.
With a seven-point lead after the first period, the Pistons strangled the life out of Manawatu in the second quarter, out-scoring them 27-14 to stretch the gap to 20 points by halftime.
The Jets, led by 33 points on 11-of-18 shooting, nine rebounds and three assists from American forward Keith Davis, won the third quarter 28-23 but could not make further enroads in the final period.
Kaine Hokianga recorded his second straight 20-point game for the Jets, while veteran Stacey Lambert had 13 points and four assists and centre Miles Pearce 11 points and eight rebounds. American point guard Kantrail Horton had nine points in the opening quarter but was held scoreless the rest of the game.
Waikato shot a season-high 60.8 percent from the field and 48 percent from beyond the arc, including 5-of-9 for Crowe, and despite their high-scoring import tandem, it was the first time past 100 points in regulation.
It was Wethers’ second 40-point game of the season, following his 40 points against the CPS Nelson Giants in the Pistons first game of the year in round two. His total overtook Davis’ 42 points against the Marley Canterbury Rams in round 10.
Dominion Finance NBL Round 12
At Arena Manawatu, Palmerston North
Waikato Pistons 109 (Brian Wethers 44, Ben Hill 25, Jason Crowe 20) Property Brokers Manawatu Jets 91 (Keith Davis 33, Kaine Hokianga 20, Stacey Lambert 13, Miles Pearce 11)
1Q: 29-22
HT: 56-36 (27-14)
3Q: 79-64 (23-28)
FT: 109-91 (30-27)
Jets vs Pistons Box Score (21KB html)
