Australians Pero Vasiljevic and Adrian Majstrovich propelled Hawke's Bay to a 118-99 national basketball league victory over Taranaki in Napier tonight.
With Vasiljevic on fire in the first quarter and ending the game with 36 points, and New Zealand born Majstrovich contributing 28, Hawke's Bay celebrated their first home gamein the new Pettigrew-Green Arena with a comfortable win.
Vasiljevic was a commanding figure in the first 10-minute spell with 23 points, including four three-pointers.
He also shot five from six from the free throw line as Hawke's Bay opened a nine-point lead.
Tall Blacks guards Paora Winitana and Paul Henare were the other outstanding Hawke's Bay players with 28 and 20 points respectively as the home side led 37-28 after the first quarter, 59-50 at halftime and 86-73 at three quarter time.
Taranaki, thrashed by Waikato in the first round, produced tougher resistance tonight but never really threatened Hawke's Bay's lead after being competitive for the first half.
American Lincoln Abrams kept the visitors in the game with a one-man show -- scoring 11 of Taranaki's first 13 points and 16 of 28 in the first quarter.
He scored a game-high 41 points while fellow American Mike Foster, recruited after the loss through injury of Willie Banks on Wednesday, scored 20, including a three-pointer on the halftime buzzer.
Hawke's Bay 118 (Pero Vasiljevic 36, Adrian Majstrovich 28, Paora Winitana 26, Paul Henare 20)
Taranaki 99 (Lincoln Abrams 41, Mike Foster 20, Carl Green 13, Willie Collins 10)
Halftime: 59-50.
In Hamilton this evening, defending champions Waikato beat Manawatu 92-73.
