Basketball: Heat leaves Waikato cold

Heat 91 Pistons 75

A huge turnaround, the North Harbour Heat basketball team destroyed last season's semifinalists Waikato 91-75 at the North Shore Events Centre last night.

The win was built around strong defence and a good team effort in offence, something lacking the previous week when the side was beaten in a muddling affair by Auckland.

The win, in their third match of the season, puts Harbour on the NBL scoreboard and was a real confidence booster. Import Mike King proved to be a thorn in the side of Waikato, scoring 20 points and generally dominating under the boards as well for 13 rebounds.

Tall Black Troy McLean finished with 23 points, including five three pointers, while Hayden Allen weighed in with 26.

Harbour controlled the first two quarters, scoring 26 points in each, while Waikato managed 21 in the first but just 10 in the second, with the home team going to the break 52-31 ahead.

The home side opened the match with a seven-point scoring spree unanswered by their southern rivals. While Harbour had three players in double figures at the completion of the first two quarters - King and Allen on 14 and McLean on 13 - Waikato were struggling, with only Ben Hill challenging the scorers on 12, six clear of next best, Puke Lenden.

Waikato shot at a dismal 31.3 per cent for the first half, compared with the hosts' satisfactory 54.3.

The visitors were more aggressive in all aspects of the game in the third quarter, outscoring Harbour 21-17, but were still behind 52-69.

For Waikato, import Vidal Massiah had a dismal night coming away empty-handed but captain Ben Hill kept his side in the game with 30 points, including five three pointers. The loss leaves Waikato without a point after two matches.

Harbour player and Sydney Kings team member Anthony Susnjara had just three minutes on the court in the first half and even less in the third and fourth quarters - a waste of a real talent who appears not to fit into coach Steve Dones' pattern.

North Harbour Heat 91 (Hayden Allen 26, Troy McLean 23, Mike King 20)

Waikato Pistons 75 (Ben Hill 30, Gaeme Dann 15, Blake Truslove 11)

HT: North Harbour 52 Waikato 31