Basketball: Wellington Saints and Southland Sharks seal wins in NBL

Wellington Saints Guard Corey Webster goes for a layup while Marcel Jones contests. Photo / Photosport

The Wellington Saints have started an eight-game home stretch with a 114-104 win over the Canterbury Rams on Saturday night.

The win improves the Saints' record to 6-0 - a flawless start to the National Basketball League - as they continue to tease the possibility of a perfect season.

In tonight's other matchup, the Southland Sharks reinforced their status as the second best side in the league, thumping the Supercity Rangers 100-73.

Yet again for the Saints, it was Corey Webster who steered the ship, posting 31 points and seven assists, while, most importantly, chasing down the Rams as they began to take over in the third period.

Rams coach Mark Dickel and his side will be rueing their loss after being very much in the game up until late in the third quarter when the Saints began to pull away as the home side's depth carried them through to another win.

Coming out of halftime down 49-47, the Rams found their offensive groove thanks to Marcel Jones (32 points, eight rebounds) who scored eight quick points, giving the Rams their first lead since the game's first minute.

The Saints, however, took advantage of the Rams' double-teams in the post and consistently found the likes of Webster and Shea Ili (18 points, six assists) on the perimeter, whose outside shooting earned the home side back the lead.

And within four minutes, as they have proven capable of doing through their previous five games this season, the Saints made a tie game into a 12-point game as they rounded out a 39-point third quarter.

Canterbury refused to lie down in the fourth as things got chippy between the two coaches, Dickel and Kevin Braswell.

The Rams, through Jeremy Kendle (26 points, six assists), worked things back to a nine-point deficit, though the Saints' rampant start to the quarter ensured a Saints win was never really in doubt.

At 6-0, they are miles ahead in first on the NBL ladder, with the Sharks jumping into second after their win over the Rangers.

Nick Kay had 20 points, 15 rebounds and four assists and Alex Pledger had 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks as the Sharks dominated the undersized Rangers on the glass, claiming 46 rebounds to the Rangers' 28.

Luke Aston hit five threes on his way to 19 points as the Sharks shot out to a 30-13 first quarter lead and were never troubled.

Nnnana Egwu had 24 points for the Rangers, who got nothing from their three starting guard options. Lindsay Tait shot 3/11, Brook Ruscoe 0/7 and Mitch McCarron a woeful 3/17.

New recruit Ernest Ross showed more promise with 16 points off the bench.

The two victors tonight clash next Thursday when the Saints host the Sharks in what will be an exciting matchup, while tomorrow the Bay Hawks host the Nelson Giants in the battle of the winless teams, streamed live on nzherald.co.nz from 3.00pm.