The opening game of Round 3 produced the closest Sal’s NBL game of the season as it took three periods of overtime to separate Hawks Bay Hawkes and Canterbury Rams last Thursday.

Despite the Rams eventually prevailing 110-103 Denhym Brooke had his best game of the season for the Hawks scoring 14 points while Jarrod Kenny scored 8 points. 

Scott Telfer scored a career high 15 points as Taranaki Airs were tipped up at home 97-79 by the Otago Nuggets.

Rob Loe missed Auckland Tuatara’s loss at Southland Sharks on Friday night with a hip injury. However he was fit for the second game of the away double featuring strongly as the Tuatara handed Wellington Saints a 103-91 defeat on Sunday evening. Rob finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.

Charlie Dalton scored 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the win. The Tuatara are next in action when they visit Franklin Bulls next Sunday evening. Expect Dan Fotu to have recovered from his ankle injury and be in the Bulls lineup for the first Auckland derby of the season. 

Liam Judd continued his fine start to the NBL season, scoring 12 points as Manawatu Jets utilised home court advantage to beat Nelson Giants 84-74. All of his points came from beyond the arc.

In NBL1 action in Australia Penina Davidson posted her fourth and fifth double-doubles of the season as Cairns Dolphins won a brace of games over the weekend. Penina posted a symmetrical 20 points and 20 rebounds in the 74-63 win against Gold Coast Rollers on Saturday and followed that with 12 points and 11 rebounds in a nail biter against North Gold Coast Seahawks won 81-80.

Micaela Cocks scored 11 points as Frankston Blues outlasted Diamond Valley to win 68-64.

A third Harbour Tall Fern Olivia Berry scored 16 points in Goldfield Giants 67-57 loss to East Perth Eagles.

Julius Halaifonua, a Harbour U17 rep last year, had 11 points in his first Men’s NBL1 game for the NBA Global Academy an 83-77 loss to Norths Bears on Friday. The Academy bounced back the next day to beat Albury Wodonga Bandits 103-71. Julius tallied 6 points and 7 rebounds with Dylan Wilkie scoring 7 points for the Bandits.

Another 2022 Harbour rep Jett Thompson posted 19 points as Southern Tigers were beaten 104-80 by Central District Lions.

In Japan Isaac Fotu scored 13 points as Tochigi Brex won a close one (85-80) against Akita NH in the Japanese League.

Yanni Wetzell was a perfect 6 from 6 shooting on his way to 14 points as ALBA Berlin beat Braunschweig 85-78 to remain top of the German League with a 28-2 record.

Also in Germany, Matt Freeman made 3 from 4 threes in his 17 points as Bremerhaven edged Trier 79-77 in the German Second Division. It was Matt’s second best haul of the season after a 22-point outing back in January. 

In other news Tai Webster will again link up with brother Corey at Perth Wildcats. Tai who joined the Wildcats midway through the 2022-23 season has signed a two-year deal with the club from the beginning of the 2023-24 Australian NBL season.