Round 10 of the NBL began with a thriller in Hamilton. In a low scoring affair the HBS Hawks led the Waikato Pistons 55-50 with 4:53 in the game remaining. Incredibly the Hawks failed to score again until Brian Greene made a three with 18 seconds to play. The Pistons took full advantage of the Hawks scoring drought, claiming fourteen unanswered points before claiming a 69-64 victory, just their second win of the season and one that was good enough to lift them off the bottom of the table.
Once again Tai Webster underlined his Rookie of the Year status claiming 21 points, nine of them in the final five minutes when the game was on the line. Firstly he scored a basket, then grabbed a steal on the next Hawks play, was fouled and scored one of the two resulting free throws before Zack Atkinson (16points/17 rebounds) tied the scores.
Webster gave his team a four points buffer with a pair of freebies and another shot from the field with 2:03 remaining. Atkinson and Ana Haku pushed the lead out to nine points inside the last minute. Amazingly the Hawks scored nine points in the final 20 seconds after going scoreless in the previous four and a half minutes before Webster scored the last of his points, another pair of free throws, to seal the win. Webster shot 6 from 14 from the field (43%), 8 from 12 free throws, converted his only three point attempt and added 5 assists.
Greene (21pts) top scored for the Hawks who shot a paltry 30% from the field (26 from 87) and now stand only one win ahead of the Pistons.
LACEY LOWDOWN 