Jordan Ngatai drops career-high 47 points to help Hawks into NBL finals

With their season on the line, Tall Blacks forward Jordan Ngatai delivered a performance for the ages.

Ngatai erupted for a career-high 47 points to help the Hawke’s Bay Hawks book a spot in the top six NBL finals, starting at Auckland’s Trusts Arena on Thursday.

The 30-year-old eclipsed Southland Shark Jeremy Kendle’s season-best 45 points in the Hawks’ 106-81 win over the Manawatū Jets on Saturday.

With the Wellington Saints upsetting the Auckland Tuatara 102-93 in the last regular season game on Sunday night, the Hawks dropped to the sixth seed.

In Thursday’s elimination games, the Hawks will meet the third ranked Canterbury Rams with the fourth seeded Franklin Bulls playing the Saints, who finish fifth.

The top ranked Tuatara and defending champion Otago Nuggets, who finished second, progress directly to the semifinals.

It was some showing from Tall Blacks’ World Cup hopeful Ngatai on Saturday, who drained eight of 13 from three point range, and shot 14 from 24 from the field (58%).

Ngatai fell just short of an exclusive group of players who have scored 50 points in an NBL game, receiving a standing ovation from the Pettigrew Green Arena faithful as he exited late in the game.

Hawke’s Bay have had an up and down campaign, finishing round play with an 8-10 record. They possess a talented squad and will know if they can put it together in the finals they are more than capable of doing well.

The Taranaki Airs ended the season strongly, winning both of their final round games to finish 7-11, but it wasn’t enough to sneak into the finals.

Taranaki crushed the Nelson Giants 108-82 on Thursday, minus Giants’ imports Avery Woodson and Matur Maker. They backed it up with a 100-95 road win over the Nuggets on Saturday behind 29 points and six rebounds from American guard Kendrick Ray.

The Rams secured third spot for the finals with a 103-89 victory over the Bulls, who dropped to fourth, both finishing with a 12-6 record.

American guard Tevin Brown paced the Rams in the win with 25 points and five rebounds, while compatriot Troy Baxter Jr and Max Darling both added 22 points.

Rams’ Tall Black Corey Webster played just nine seconds to get his fifth game of eligibility for the finals, managing some injury concerns.

AT A GLANCE:

NBL round 15:

At TSB Stadium, New Plymouth: Airs 108 (Anzac Rissetto 30, Richie Rodger 17, Kendrick Ray 16, Armon Fletcher 16, Anthony Hilliard 14) Giants 82 (Alex McNaught 22, Callum McRae 17, Tom Ingham 16, Nic Trathen 14) 1Q: 27-15, HT: 51-31, 3Q: 83-64.

At Cowles Stadium, Christchurch: Rams 103 (Tevin Brown 25, Max Darling 22, Troy Baxter Jr 22, Taylor Britt 12, Galin Smith 10) Bulls 89 (Daniel Fotu 22, Isaac Davidson 19, Jamaal Brantley 13, Rickey McGill 12) 1Q: 22-24, HT: 48-40, 3Q: 70-68.

At Edgar Centre, Dunedin: Airs 100 (Ray 29, Rodger 16, Hilliard 16, Fletcher 11, Carlin Davison 11, Quintin Bailey 10) Nuggets 95 (Sam Timmins 23, Todd Withers 20, Michael Harris, 18, Tai Webster 16, Nikau McCullough 13) 1Q: 31-20, HT: 55-51, 3Q: 79-69.

At Pettigrew Green Arena, Napier: Hawks 106 (Jordan Ngatai 47, Derone Raukawa 17, Hyrum Harris 12, Ira Lee 10, Bryce McBride 10) Jets 81 (Javion Blake 24, Danny Pippen 22, Liam Judd 11) 1Q: 22-24, HT: 52-42, 3Q: 75-63.

At Trafalgar Centre, Nelson: Sharks 99 (Josh Cunningham 34, Jeremy Kendle 19, Brayden Inger 14, Grant Anticevich 13) Giants 75 (McRae 27, McNaught 11, Dempster 10) 1Q: 26-19, HT: 46-37, 3Q: 71-61.

At Pulman Arena, Auckland: Saints 102 (Kyle Adnam 24, Elijah Thomas 17, Izayah Le’afa 16, Isaiah Mucius 15, Tohi Smith-Milner 10) Tuatara 93 (Reuben Te Rangi 18, Cam Gliddon 15, Jarrad Weeks 14, Kruz Perrott-Hunt 13, Joe Lawson 13, Rob Loe 12) 1Q: 14-16, HT: 40-45, 3Q: 61-70.

Final standings: Tuatara 13-5, Nuggets 12-6, Rams 12-6, Bulls 12-6, Saints 9-9, Hawks 8-10, Airs 7-11, Sharks 6-12, Giants 6-12, Jets 5-13.

Tauihi

The Southern Hoiho have already won more games than they did in the whole of last season.

Last season’s Tauihi women’s basketball strugglers made a dream start to 2023, racing out of the blocks in the opening round.

The Otago-Southland side won just one of 12 games last year, finishing rock bottom in Tauihi’s inaugural season.

They made quite the statement, knocking over the defending champion Tokomanawa Queens and beaten finalists, the Northern Kāhu, in round one.

American forward Ashten Prechtel, one of nine players with WNBA connections who will play in Tauihi this season, showed why she will be an MVP frontrunner.

Pretchel played at California school, Stanford, and was selected 34th overall by the Connecticut Sun in this year’s WNBA draft.

The 22-year-old couldn’t have scripted a better debut for the Hoiho in Wednesday’s 82-75 win over the Queens in Porirua, registering a jaw-dropping 25 points and 21 rebounds.

All five Hoiho starters scored in double figures as they rolled into Queens territory and upset the reigning champions.

Forget about a one-off result. The Hoiho backed up that memorable win, knocking over title favourites, the Kāhu, 82-76 in Dunedin on Saturday.

The Kāhu were without Tall Ferns standouts Penina Davidson, Krystal Leger-Walker and Australian captain Tess Madgen, who will join later in the season, but it was still an impressive result.

Pretchel followed up her stellar debut with a 17 point, 12 rebound double-double, also adding four assists.

Zoe Richards (19 points, 11 rebounds, and four steals) and Australian Ahlise Hurst (19 points, three steals) were influential too as the Hoiho made it back-to-back wins.

In Sunday’s game in Christchurch, the Mid-North Whai pipped the Mainland Pouākai 79-73.

Aaliyah Wilson scored a crucial late basket for the Whai with Mikayla Cowling icing the win with late free throws.

McKenna Dale and Cowling were terrific for the Whai teaming up for 59 points.

AT A GLANCE:

At Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua: Hoiho 82 (Ashten Prechtel 25, Ahlise Hurst 16, Zoe Richards 15, Paige Bradley 12, Samara Gallaher 10) Queens 75 (Chryslin Carr 25, Stephanie Watts 21, Maya Dodson 10) 1Q: 26-23, HT: 41-40, 3Q: 63-56.

At Edgar Centre, Dunedin: Hoiho 82 (Richards 19, Hurst 19, Prechtel 17) Kāhu 76 (Akiene-Tera Reed 27, Tahlia Tupaea 24, Ilmar’l Thomas 17) 1Q: 20-24, HT: 37-37, 3Q: 65-50.

At Cowles Stadium, Christchurch: Whai 79 (McKenna Dale 32, Mikayla Cowling 27, Aaliyah Wilson 12) Pouākai 73 (Esra McGoldrick 20, Kennedy Leonard 20, Sharne Robati 18) 1Q: 26-22, HT: 37-39, 3Q: 59-58.

Standings: Hoiho 2-0, Whai 1-0, Queens 0-1, Kāhu 0-1, Pouākai 0-1.