Waikato 95 Wellington 78
KEY POINTS:
Waikato flicked a switch after halftime to upset Wellington in the first match of the National Basketball League finals series last night.
They grabbed a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series with a 95-78 victory sparked by a dominant third quarter when Wellington were torn apart.
Waikato went into overdrive, going on a 21-4 gallop after the resumption as Tall Blacks captain Pero Cameron and guard Brian Wethers began complementing the dangerous Jason Crowe.
Crowe, a multi-skilled point guard, had dominated the first half when Waikato led 52-50 on the back of his 19 points and although his influence on the scoresheet waned Waikato had others who stepped up to the plate.
They crowded Wellington under the basket at both ends to squeeze the life from the regular season champions, who managed just a miserable nine points during the entire third 10-minute period.
The match was Waikato's to lose as they went to the last break up 75-59 and the series underdogs did not waste the opportunity.
Wellington's 2.08m Nick Horvath ensured his team did not lie down with a gutsy, game-high 37 points plus 11 rebounds although the damage had effectively been done in that decisive third period.
But the influence of his colleagues was successfully neutralised by a Waikato side brimming with confidence.
Crowe was Waikato's best with 26 points and nine assists while Wethers ended with 24 points, Cameron 15, Ben Hill 13 and Mike Homik 10.
It was always considered a match Waikato simply had to win as the series now moves to Wellington for the second game on Friday and the third, if required, on Sunday.
Waikato coach Murray McMahon did not exactly reinvent the wheel with his halftime speech which so inspired his players.
"I just told them that we had to play defence, that we had to do a job on Horvath and Mike Homik came out and kept him off the boards," McMahon said.
"We picked up our defence and our transition dee and that took them out of the game."
Waikato came out running and gunning in the first quarter when Crowe ran the show to help earn his side a 32-26 lead.
Crowe chipped in with 14 points of his own in that quarter alone, missing with just one shot while also making five assists.
Waikato could seemingly do no wrong, shooting at more than 70 per cent, high standards they could not hope to maintain as the match progressed.
Wellington regrouped in the second quarter on the back of determined defence and fine play from Horvath to outscore the home side 24-20.
They actually hit the front 50-49 before Crowe had the last say in the half, coolly sinking a three-pointer from the top of the key with just seconds remaining to edge Waikato ahead again.
Horvath had a huge half for the visitors, scoring 21 of his points and pulling down eight rebounds but Wellington starting guard Ernest Scott was unusually subdued after injuring an ankle in the early exchanges.
- NZPA
