KEY POINTS:
Waikato suffered successive defeats as Wellington consolidated their standing atop the National Basketball League yesterday.
Wellington turned back Waikato's challenge 81-66 in the capital less than 24 hours after the northerners went down 81-88 to Nelson.
Yesterday's result was Wellington's fifth successive win and moved them ahead of Waikato and into sole possession of the top spot for the first time this season.
Wellington completed a 2-0 home doubleheader in round seven with alarming ease, having beaten Taranaki 95-86 on Friday night.
Led by a balanced scoring attack, Wellington only allowed Waikato within eight points once in the final quarter and answered every Waikato basket to stomp out any comeback embers.
American import Ernest Scott led Wellington with 18 points and 12 rebounds - including three blocks on league-leading scorer Brian Wethers.
Troy McLean continued his return to form with 13 points, including a three-pointer with a little over two minutes remaining that gave Wellington a 93-76 lead. Leon Henry also had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists while American centre Kevin Owens posted his third double-double in five games with 12 points and 11 boards.
Waikato coach Murray McMahon was not surprised about his team's struggles on the road this weekend.
"We haven't been playing well for a while," McMahon said. "We've been getting wins but not playing well, not playing the team game. It [the loss] is not unexpected.
"At practice on Thursday I turned and said to my assistant coach that `we're in trouble'. We just weren't running our plays in practice, so how were we going to run them in a game? It was sloppy."
Elsewhere, Otago posted their second win in three games, getting a combined 57 points from imports Lemar Gayle and Antoine Tisby in a 100-81 win over Manawatu in Palmerston North last night.
Hawkes Bay improved to 3-3 for the season with an 89-76 win over Otago on Friday but still remain two points and a half-game outside the top six.
The top six is filled out by North Harbour, 97-78 winners over anterbury, Nelson, Auckland, 71-89 losers to Canterbury on Thursday, and Taranaki.
- NZPA
