Basketball: Auckland pip Hawke's Bay in final

Auckland retained the National Basketball League title by pipping Hawke's Bay 69-68 in the final in Napier today.

Auckland were down 33-36 at halftime against a Hawke's Bay side willed on by a parochial home crowd.

But they revealed their fighting qualities in hostile environments to repeat their 2004 success, attained in Nelson.

Casey Frank spearheaded the Auckland effort with 18 points, but the workload was shared around, with five players reaching double figures, including Aaron Olson and Lindsay Tait, who each contributed 12.

Hawke's Bay coach Shawn Dennis was gracious in defeat.

"The bottom line is that to win a championship, it comes down to a game of mistakes and the team that makes the fewest wins. Unfortunately for us, we were beaten in that stat.

"It's just such an empty feeling. I mean at the end of the day, who remembers who comes second."

Hawke's Bay's leading scorer was Derek Moore with 22 points, following by Dusty Rychart with 16 and Adrian Majstrovich with 14.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY