Basketball: Pistons thrash Sharks

Jason Crowe lit up the Hamilton Boys High School gym from outside the three-point arc while Alex Pledger was even more dominant inside as Waikato thrashed Southland 102-69 in a National Basketball League (NBL) match last night.

Crowe, the American point guard and a former NBL MVP, only had eyes for the big shots, landing seven from 14 three-point attempts in a 21-point haul and adding nine assists in a top drawer individual performance that was notable for another statistic - he did not attempt any shots from inside the arc during 33 minutes of court time.

New Zealand Breakers centre Pledger was arguably the man of the match, however, dominating inside and shooting at 83 per cent in a game-high 25 points.

Import Jerry Smith and Breaker Thomas Abercrombie also featured prominently as the Pistons notched their third win from six matches, which takes them into sole possession of third early into the fifth week of the season.

The hosts were all over Southland from the outset. They were hot with the ball in hand and pressured the Sharks on defence, causing the visitors to cough up the ball too often and making a habit of immediately punishing them.

Southland's shooting percentages were low and new signing, Breakers star Kevin Braswell, struggled on his debut for the franchise, making four shots from 16 from the field and totalling just nine points.

- NZPA