Basketball: Banks leads Taranaki to overtime victory against Rams

Willie Banks was the Taranaki Mountain Airs hero last night as they scored an 82-81 overtime victory against the luckless Canterbury Rams in their National Basketball League (NBL) match in Christchurch.

Banks scored a basket with just six seconds left in regulation time to lock the score at 72-72, forcing the game into extra time.

The visitors again trailed 80-81 in the closing stages of overtime before Banks made the winning basket with just five seconds to play.

The elusive guard top-scored for Taranaki with 26 points and he received valuable support from Damon Rampton (14) and Link Abrams (13).

For Canterbury no one tried harder than Clifton Bush (21), American Kenny Walker (14) and Andrew Johnstone.

- NZPA