2010 Bartercard NBL Round 3 (March 18-19) Waikato Pistons v Christchurch Cougars Harbour Heat v Wellington Saints Taranaki Mountainairs v Christchurch Cougars 0800 Easy LPG Bay Hawks v Zerofees Southland Sharks Fico Finance Nelson Giants v OceanaGold Nuggets www.basketball.org.nz STANDINGS Team P W L Win % GB Pts Waikato Pistons 2 2 0 100 0 4 Harbour Heat 2 2 0 100 0 4 0800 Easy LPG Bay Hawks 3 2 1 66.7 0.5 4 Wellington Saints 3 2 1 66.7 0.5 4 Christchurch Cougars 3 2 1 66.7 0.5 4 Fico Finance Nelson Giants 3 2 1 66.7 0.5 4 Taranaki Mountainairs 2 0 2 0 2 0 Zerofees Southland Sharks 2 0 2 0 2 0 Oceanagold Otago Nuggets 2 0 2 0 2 0 Win % - Win Percentage, GB – Games Back LAST WEEK Bartercard NBL - Round Two Wellington Saints 85 (Darryl Hudson 33, Nick Horvarth 14, Troy McLean 13) Christchurch Cougars 72 (Paora Winitana 20, Trent Wurtz 15, Jeremy Kench 12) 0800 Easy LPG Bay Hawks 118 (Jamil Terrell 23, Everard Bartlett 21) McDonalds Manawatu Jets 76 (Matt Te Huna 16, Ronald Allen 12) Fico Finance Nelson Giants 92 (Phil Jones 29, Michael Harrison 22, Tony Rampton 11) Wellington Saints 86 (Erron Maxey 25, Darryl Hudson 18, Casey Frank 15) Waikato Pistons 96 (Thomas Abercrombie 37, Eric Devendorf 25, Alex Pledger 11) Taranaki Mountainairs 78 (Jeremiah Trueman 23, Jack Leasure 18, Demarshay Johnson 12) Christchurch Cougars 104 (Paora Winitana 26, Jeremy Kench 25) OceanaGold Nuggets 71 (Tyler Amaya 23, Antoine Tisby 19) Harbour Heat 96 (Rick Rickert 24, Kavossy Franklin 20, Corey Webster 17) Zerofees Southland Sharks 82 (Mike Rose 21, James Paringatai 20, Gareth Dawson 16) THIS WEEK 2010 NBL Round Three Thursday, March 18 Waikato Pistons (2-0) v Christchurch Cougars (2-1) At Te Awamutu Events Centre, Te Awamutu, 7.30pm Head to Head (Wins): Pistons 3 Cougars 0 Last Meeting: (2009 Semi Final) Pistons 96-89 Projected Starting Fives Pistons Cougars Point Guard Eric Devendorf Jeremy Kench Shooting Guard Hayden Allen Aidan Daly Small Forward Thomas Abercrombie Paora Winitana Power Forward Tony Ronaldson Trent Wurtz Center Alex Pledger Lionel Hopgood Leading Scorers (Points per game) Pistons Cougars Eric Devendorf (37.0) Paora Winitana (24.3) Thomas Abercrombie (21.5) Jeremy Kench (19.0) Hayden Allen (9.5) Trent Wurtz (10.7) Team Leaders in Other Categories (Per game) Pistons Cougars Rebounds Alex Pledger (15.5) Mark Morrison (7.0) Assists Thomas Abercombie (2.5) Jeremy Kench (6.0) Steals Eric Devendorf (2.5) Trent Wurtz (3.7) Blocks Thomas Abercrombie (3.0) Sam Crozier (0.5) Notes Cougars have never beaten Waikato losing to them three times in 2009. The last time was in the semifinal at Te Awamutu when the Pistons won 96-89. Thomas Abercrombie is the only starter left, currently playing for the Pistons. In that last game Abercrombie scored 23 points and had 9 rebounds. Coming off a player of the week in Round Two Abercrombie is averaging 21.5 points per game and is second in the league in blocks (3.0). The Cougars have starters Trent Wurtz, Paora Winitana and Tim Behrendorff back from last season, but it is still uncertain whether Behrendorff will be with the Cougars because of obligations with the Wollongong Hawks in Australia. Former Cougar player Gerard Bowden now plays for the Pistons this season and is averaging six a game which is down from last season when he was averaging just under 16 points per game. Pistons have cruised in their first two games winning by an average margin of 18 points. Pistons star Eric Devendorf leads the league in scoring at 37 points per game, second in three point percentage (72.7%) and 6th in field goal percentage (65.8%). Alex Pledger leads the league in rebounding at 15.5 a game. In the two games the Pistons have played Tony Ronaldson has yet to score over ten points this year shooting under 40 percent. Trent Wurtz had strong games in 2009 against the Pistons averaging just over 20 points per game in three games. Friday, March 19 Harbour Heat (2-0) v Wellington Saints (2-1) At North Shore Events Centre, North Shore, 7pm Head to Head (Wins): Heat 2 Saints 4 Last Meeting: (2009 Round 14) Saints 84-80 Projected Starting Five Heat Saints Point Guard Kavossy Franklin Darryl Hudson Shooting Guard Corey Webster Troy McLean Small Forward Dillon Boucher Leon Henry Power Forward Beny Anthony Casey Frank Center Rick Rickert Nick Horvarth Leading Scorers (Points per game) Heat Saints Corey Webster (25.5) Darryl Hudson (23.0) Rick Rickert (21.0) Nick Horvarth (17.4) Kavossy Franklin (20.0) Erron Maxey (14.0) Team Leaders in Other Categories (Per game) Heat Saints Rebounds Dillon Boucher (12.0) Nick Horvarth (9.7) Assists Dillon Boucher (6.5) Darryl Hudson (4.0) Steals Corey Webster (6.5) Darryl Hudson (2.7) Blocks Beny Anthony (1.0) Nick Horvarth (1.7) Notes Harbour Heat and the Waikato Pistons are the only remaining teams unbeaten after the Saints lost to the Giants in Round 2. The Heat has cruised in both their games beating the southern teams Southland and Otago by 14 and 17 respectively. Heat had their full squad against the Sharks last week with the introduction of import guard Kavossy Franklin who scored 20 points (8/12 FG) on debut. The back court of Corey Webster and Franklin could present a problem for the Saints who are still without point guard Lindsay Tait (ankle). Webster is currently fifth in the league in scoring (25.5) and currently leads the league in steals (6.5). Heat lead the league in points in the paint (44 per game), but will have to go against the tall timber of Nick Horvarth and Casey Frank. Dillon Boucher leads the league in assists per game (6.5), but is also leading the league in turnovers per game (8.0). Taranaki Mountainairs (0-2) v Christchurch Cougars (2-1) At TSB Stadium, New Plymouth, 7pm Head to Head (Wins): Cougars 2 Airs 0 Last Meeting: Cougars 102-80 Projected Starting Fives Mountainairs Cougars Point Guard Tyrone Davey Jeremy Kench Shooting Guard Jack Leasure Aidan Daly Small Forward Aaron Bailey-Nowell Paora Winitana Power Forward Jeremiah Trueman Trent Wurtz Center Demarshay Johnson Lionel Hopgood Leading Scorers (Points per game) Mountainairs Cougars Jack Leasure (22.0) Paora Winitana (24.3) Demarshay Johnson (17.5) Jeremy Kench (19.0) Jeremiah Trueman (15.5) Trent Wurtz (10.7) Team Leaders in Other Categories (Per game) Mountainairs Cougars Rebounds Demarshay Johnson (8.0) Mark Morrison (7.0) Assists Jack Leasure & Alex Wastney (2.0) Jeremy Kench (6.0) Steals Jack Leasure (2.0) Trent Wurtz (3.7) Blocks Jeremiah Trueman (1.0) Sam Crozier (0.5) Notes The Mountainairs are currently on an 18 game losing streak, but the Cougars are on their second game of their back to back road trip. Airs fought hard in the first half against the Pistons at Te Awamutu last week only being down four at the half. But they couldnt maintain it in the second half in which they lost by 13. New Zealand Breaker Jeremiah Trueman had his best game yet as an Air scoing 23 against fellow Breakers teammate Tony Ronaldson. He will go head to head with Trent Wurtz who averaging 10.7 points per game and is second in the league in steals (3.7). Cougars Jeremy Kench has had a strong start to the season averaging nearly 20 points, is second in the league in assists (6.0), and third in steals (3.0). Last season Cougars Paora Winitana scored 40 points against Taranaki in New Plymouth. The Airs have never beaten the Cougars franchise before. 0800 Easy LPG Bay Hawks (2-1) v Zerofees Southland Sharks (0-2) At Pettigrew Green Arena, Taradale, 7pm Last Meeting: (2010 Round One) Hawks 105-90 (OT) Projected Starting Fives Hawks Sharks Point Guard Nat Connel Mike Rose Shooting Guard Everard Bartlett Daniel Munday Small Forward Chris Daniel Rene Rougeau Power Forward Dave Langrell James Paringatai Center Jamil Terrell Martin Iti Leading Scorers (Points per game) Hawks Sharks Everard Bartlett (16.7) Mike Rose (25.0) Nat Connell (16.7) James Paringatai (15.0) Jamil Terrell (14.7) Gareth Dawson (13.0) Team Leaders in Other Categories (Per game) Hawks Sharks Rebounds Dave Langrell (8.7) James Paringatai & Mike Rose (7.0) Assists Nat Connell (4.7) Rene Rougeau (4.0) Steals Everard Bartlett (2.7) Rene Rougeau (4.5) Blocks Jamil Terrell (1.7) Rene Rougeau (3.5) Notes Both teams have already played against each other in Round One when the Southland Sharks hosted their first ever game in the National Basketball League. Hawks had an early lead only for the Sharks to fight back taking the game to overtime. Unfortunately for the Sharks they had a terrible overtime turning the ball over and giving up 21 points in the extra period. Match up of guards Sharks Mike Rose and Hawks Everard Bartlett was the main feature of the last game scoring 29 and 23 points respectively. A total of twelve players in the game scored double figures or over. Sharks other import Rene Rougeau leads his team in assists, steals and blocks (Leads the league in blocks at 3.5 per game). Hawks have now won two in a row after thrashing the Jets by 42 points, leading by 32 after the first quarter (40-8). This is the most points the Hawks have beaten a team since their 41 point win over Otago 2006.