Jack Salt announced his retirement from all basketball last week. Jack played at all Harbour Basketball age-group representative levels during his time at Takapuna Primary School, Takapuna Normal Intermediate and Westlake Boys High School – he won back-to-back Secondary Schools National Championships with Westlake in 2012 and 2013.

He went on to have a distinguished career at the University of Virginia where he won an NCAA Championship with the Cavaliers in 2019 – the only Kiwi to have won an NCAA Championship ring.

Jack made his Tall Blacks debut as a 17 year old back in 2013 against China going on to play 13 games (9 Tests) for the national team. His final game was fittingly in Auckland – a 67-57 victory helping the team on its qualifying journey to the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China.

Since university Jack has had spells with Brisbane Bullets, Canterbury Rams and Hawke’s Bay Hawks but a succession of injuries have forced him into retirement.

All at Harbour basketball wish Jack well in his future endeavours.

Jack’s former Westlake and Harbour teammate Tai Webster has reunited with brother Corey in the Australian NBL. Tai, having most recently played in the Turkish Super League with Petkim Spor, has signed with the Perth Wildcats for the remainder of the 2022-23 NBL season. 

In American college basketball Kruz Perrott-Hunt missed South Dakota’s pre-Xmas opening Summit League defeat due to illness. His reappearance brought instant success - he returned 19 points as the Coyotes beat St Thomas 92-84 and then scored a career high in the 80-63 defeat of Western Illinois.

The Tall Blacks guard finished with 30 points making 11 from 20 shots including 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. He was also a perfect 4 out of 4 from the foul line while also pulling down 7 rebounds and dishing 4 assists. The Coyotes are now 2-1 in Summit League play.

Zach Riley and Sam Mennenga were in opposition as Fordham entertained Davidson in the opening fixture of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Fordham, with an overall record of 12-1 and sporting home advantage would have entered the contest as favourites but managed just 14 points in the first half, eventually going down 57-43.

Sam had a defensive rebound and a layup on the first two possessions of the game before going on to record his second double-double of the season – 13 points and 11 rebounds - his first basket bringing up 600 career points in his 68^th game.

Sam is just the 16^th Kiwi to score 600  points in men’s Division I NCAA basketball – the 8^th Harbour player and 4^thWestlaker to reach the mark!

Zach tallied 6 points, 3 rebounds, an assist and a steal for Fordham.

James Moors scored 4 points as Colorado State  went down 78-70 to San Jose State. James added 3 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.

In Women’s Division I action Emme Shearer grabbed a steal and 6 points in the final two minutes to help Portland (4-0) to an 86-76 come from behind win at Pepperdine. Emme finished the game with 17 points and is now just 9 shy of 500 career points. The win followed a 70-61 success at Loyola Marymount. Portland have begun West Coast Conference play with four straight wins.

St Mary’s, (1-2 in the West Coast Conference), led by 15 points at one stage but were eventually defeated 69-65 by San Diego in overtime. Tayla Dalton produced 9 points and 3 assists in the loss.

In NCAA Division II play Keeley Tini scored a season high 16 points on 5 from 7 shooting and also pulled down 6 rebounds in Auburn at Montgomery’s 64-49 loss to Georgia College on New Year’s Eve. She followed that with 10 points (5/8FG) a couple of days later but again Auburn were on the wrong side of the scoring ledger defeated 84-75 by West Florida.

Hannah Wentworth made 4 from 6 threes on her way to 14 points as the Eckerd Tritons defeated Palm Beach 81-57Eckerd are now 6-0 in Sunshine State Conference play with Hannah sixth in the conference for 3-pointers made - 43 shots made from 98 attempts at 44%.