Basketball: Suns get reality check from Waitakere

The Northland Suns received a valuable gauge of where they are in the Intercity Basketball League when they came up against competition front runners Waitakere on Saturday.

Waitakere defeated the Northland side 100-80 to notch up their sixth straight win and show why they are regarded as the benchmark of the competition.

The Suns still are well placed to make the playoffs with a three win and three loss record that sees them staying in touch with the teams at the top of the competition ladder.

The two teams could meet again in the semifinals or final but the Suns will have to improve quickly if they want to stand a chance of closing the gap on their rivals.

The Suns were missing one of their regular starters - shooting guard Travis Mcilroy who was ill - and his presence was missed during the game.

It wasn't all bad however, with many of the young Suns development players stepping up to make a solid contribution.

Senior players Warrick Siddall, BJ Anthony, Raymond Cameron and Niasi Malua continue to lead by example and the team has now established itself in the competition.

A slow start and tough shooting stretch in the first quarter contributed to Saturday's loss. The first quarter lead would remain the same for the entire match although the Suns came within 10 points of Waitakere in both the third and fourth quarters.

Next week the Suns play the Auckland Rebels in the final game of pool play. A win there will see the Suns well placed heading into the quarterfinals.