Basketball: Auckland grab tight basketball victory

Auckland can be thankful they squeaked out of their national basketball league game against Otago with an 89-88 win at home last night.

With seven seconds remaining and trailing by three points, Otago Nuggets forward Mark Mullany-Bracewell put up a successful long-range shot that looked for all the world like a three-pointer to tie the game. It was ruled a two and Auckland hung on.

The Nuggets had not been that impressive in two opening losses this season after not confirming their entry into the league until virtually the last minute.

But a bye last week had given them a chance to regroup and the addition of American guard Ron Grady was a further boost coming into their northern doubleheader.

They began the better, opening up a 32-18 advantage over the first quarter and widening it further to 17 points midway through the second.

While Grady showed some solid fundamentals, team-mates Daniel Ryan and Michael Fitchett provided the scoring firepower. Ryan, Otago's leading scorer through the early season, beat Auckland player/coach Kenny Stone several times for his 12 first-quarter points, while Fitchett found delightful touch from long range, mixing three three-pointers in his 13 points as the Nuggets held a 50-40 lead at halftime.

Stone triggered a comprehensive comeback immediately after the break.

The Stars upped their defensive intensity, scored 14 consecutive points early to take the quarter 33-13 and held a 10-point bulge heading into the final period.

However, Otago battled back and took the game to the final moments.

Tonight, Otago play the Harbour Kings at North Shore.

* The Canterbury Flames crushed the Counties Manukau Cometz 60-29 in a lopsided national netball league match in Christchurch last night.

The result moved the Flames into second place, if only temporarily, on the points table, with nine, three behind the Northern Force, who tackle the Auckland Diamonds tomorrow. The Cometz are on one point, joint bottom of the table with the Otago Rebels.