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Paora Winitana of the Christchurch Cougars - Source: Photosport
Christchurch Cougars have come back from 20 points down in the third quarter to secure a 75-72 win over the Bay Hawks on Thursday night.
Cougars Paora Winitana top scored with 27 (10-16 FG) against his hometown while former Hawk Jeremy Kench had 20 points, six rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
For the Hawks, former Canterbury Rams players David Langrell had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Nat Connell scored 15. Hawks import Jamil Terrell fouled out with four points and eight turnovers.
Both teams came out rusty in the opening quarter both committing 4 turnovers and shooting under forty percent from the field, Hawks leading 19-18.
With 6.45 left in the second quarter the Hawks made an amazing 17-0 -run behind the play of Langrell who had 18 and Connell 11 to end the half with the Hawks up 48-30.
But in the third the Cougars fought back and went on a 14-3 run, down only 57-51 at the end of the third.
The fourth would be a tight one but the Cougars would finally get their first lead since early in the second from a Kench three pointer.
Hawks had a brief one point lead, but the home side closed the game behind 18 second half points from Winitana.
Cougars also put the clamps on Langrell who was held scoreless and Connell only four in the second half. An amazing 40 turnovers were committed in the game (Cougars 20 Hawks 25)
Hawks will now travel down to Invercargill to play the Southland Sharks in their first NBL game on Saturday.
In Te Awamutu the defending champs Waikato Pistons have knocked off last year's runners up Nelson Giants 92-73.
Pistons star Eric Devendorff has scored an incredible 49 points on debut and Tall Black Alex Pledger had a double/double of 11 points and 20 rebounds.
The first quarter was close with the score 18-17 to the Pistons.
Pistons held a 41-34 lead at halftime. In the third Pistons dominated leading by 15 thanks to Devendorff scoring and incredible 19 in the quarter.
Giants had no answer for Devendorff who proceeded to score 13 in the fourth.
For the Giants Michael Harrison had 24, Phil Jones 17 and Tony Rampton 13.
