The Taylor Hawks would like to advise that Kirstin Daly-Taylor has stepped down as Head Coach

Kirstin was contracted with the Hawks in 2016 on a multi-year deal. She was successful in implementing a successful game plan on the 9 April when the Taylor Hawks beat the Mike Pero Nelson Giants 81-63, but it has been the only win for the team this season.  

With a view to look for better success, Daly-Taylor has resigned and feels that the team needs a new leader.

Daly-Taylor said she felt the team could improve under refreshed leadership and believed it was right to step down to make the position available for a new Head Coach. 

The Taylor Hawks have accepted the resignation and the decision is an amicable one.

The Taylor Hawks in the interim have appointed Board Member Ben Hill in a caretaker role for the game on Friday in Te Awamutu and Saturday in Nelson.

The four-time NBL title-winning forward played for the Waikato Pistons and was a three-point clutch specialist.

The Taylor Hawks have finally ended their 24-game losing streak with an 81-63 win over the Mike Pero Nelson Giants.

Hawks captain Everard Bartlett led the way with 19 points, forward Joshua Fox added 15 and seven rebounds, and Greg Fiorentinos had 15 off the bench.

June 21, 2015 was the last time the Hawks had a win, but today hopefully a winning streak will begin for them who showed a great deal of hustle to finally get on the board. One person who will be relieved to remove the monkey off her back is Hawks coach Kirsten Daly who will be impressed with her sides defensive effort which restricted the Giants to 63 points on 37% shooting.

The Hawks also welcomed American centre Amir Williams who although didn’t produce much of a stat line brought presence on the inside.

It was another disappointing effort from the Giants who today only got good production from Dion Prewster who had 25 points. Lack of depth in the forwards came to the fore today when their centre Curtis Washington battled with foul trouble, playing only 17 minutes.

Finn Delany and Kyle Adnan were the only other Giant players to reach over double-digit points, but Delany struggled from the field shooting 4/16 while Adnan struggled to find a rhythm with taller opponent Jarrod Kenny making it difficult.

Off the bat, you could feel this was a different Hawks team when they opened the game with four straight points from Fox including an emphatic dunk, followed by a three from Tony Tolovae and then a bucket from Johnson which gave the home side a 9-2 lead to begin the game and a 20-13 lead after the first quarter. The Hawks were not going to let the game slip from them winning each of the next three quarters.

The Hawks will try to bring this momentum in when they play at home game again against the SIT Zerofees Sharks who will be coming off a game the night before against the Wellington Saints.

Nelson now slump to 0-5 and have a lot to ponder as the schedule won’t be easier when they travel on the road next week to play against the James Blond Supercity Rangers and Taranaki Mountainairs on Saturday night then Sunday afternoon.

A special mention to Referee Dallas Pickering who officiated his 400^th NBL game today. Pickering began his career in 1994 and currently holds the most ever finals officiated (15) and is one of only two referees to have officiated over 400 games joining Stan Battock who 1982-2004 officiated 460 games.

 

Sunday, April 9

At Pettigrew Green Arena, Taradale

Taylor Hawks 81 (Everard Bartlett 19, Joshua Fox 15, Greg Fiorentinos 15)

Mike Pero Nelson Giants 63 (Dion Prewster 25, Kyle Adnan 11, Finn Delany 10)

Live Stats

The James Blond Supercity Rangers have overcome a 22-point deficit to defeat the Taranaki Mountainairs 65-62.

It was evident that both teams were coming off games on Friday night as each team shot in the low thirties.

Mitch McCarron had a double-double of 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Lindsay Tait tallied 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Rangers who will pleased to be 3-1 to start the season without key personnel to join their roster.

Taranaki should feel gutted not to have got the win this afternoon and showed a lot of fight after they lost their American centre, Daniel Gomis with a suspected fractured hand only playing seven minutes. The Rangers took advantage in the second quarter when Taranaki’s leading scorer Tylor Ongwae had to be benched after committing his third foul to cut the 22-point lead to only seven at halftime.

The second half was not pretty as both teams were sloppy offensively and in the end the difference was possibly three throw shooting. The Rangers making key ones down the stretch, ending the game shooting 14/19, whilst the Airs were poor at 10/20.

Ongwae scored a team high 14 points and Houston O’Riley had 12 for Taranaki who drop to 3-2 and also lose the all-important tiebreaker against the Rangers.

Taranaki will hopefully have a positive prognosis on the injury status of Daniel Gomis, but it will be a short turnaround for the franchise as they will host the 4-0 Wellington Saints on Thursday night.

Meanwhile the Rangers should have Guam small forward Earnest Ross to make his first appearance against the SIT Zerofees Sharks next Saturday in Invercargill.

 

Sunday, April 2

At Trusts Arena, Waitakere

James Blond Supercity Rangers 65 (Mitch McCarron 24, Lindsay Tait 15)

Taranaki Mountainairs 62 (Tylor Ongwae 14, Houston O’Riley 12, Alonzo Burton 10)

Live Stats

The Wellington Saints have overcome a sluggish start to win their fourth of the season with a 102-91 win over the Taylor Hawks.

Corey Webster scored a game high 33 for the Saints and took control in third period and early part of the fourth quarter which saw the visitors take a two-point half time lead up to 19.

Tai Wesley and Shea Ili both added 19 and Jordan Ngatai added 14 for the Saints who have now won their last six.

Hawks would try to make a mini fourth quarter run with back to back three’s from Everard Bartlett, but the deficit would be too large for the home side who now slump to their 24^th straight loss and fourth for the season.

Wellington’s strategy was to give point guard Jarrod Kenny free looks on the outside and he took advantage scoring 22 points and dishing out 15 assists. Bartlett and Tony Tolovae added 14 for the home side and off the bench Joshua Fox played extended minutes to score 16 for the Hawks who played without American, Lamar Roberson who struggled in his first three games with the Hawks.

The Hawks made a solid start winning the opening quarter 18-16, but from there on and could not contain Wellington’s offense which scored 86 points in the final three quarters and ending the game shooting 58% from the field and 47% from three.

Tomorrow, will feature what should be another good game between the James Blond Supercity Rangers (2-1) and the Taranaki Mountainairs (3-1) which will be streamed live via NZ Herald and on Maori T.V, tip off 3pm.

 

Saturday, April 1

At Pettigrew Green Arena, Taradale

Taylor Hawks 91 (Jarrod Kenny 22, Joshua Fox 16, Everard Bartlett 14, Tony Tolovae 14)

Wellington Saints 102 (Corey Webster 33, Shea Ili 19, Tai Wesley 19)

Live Stats

The Taylor Hawks have suffered a heart breaking 76-75 loss to the Taranaki Moutainairs extending their losing streak to 23

The Hawks looked like they were going to get their first win since June 21, 2015 when Tony Tolovae hit a three in the corner to give his side a 72-71 lead with under a minute to go, but Taranaki point guard Houston O’Riley would be fouled by Tolovae and would convert one from two to tie the scores.

Tolovae would quickly go from hero to zero on the next possession as he tried to break his defender down one on one at the top of the key which then led to a turnover and a break away basket from Brad Anderson to put the visitors up two.

Unfortunately, on the ensuing possession the Hawks made a good play which gave forward Joshua Fox an easy lay in, but it would roll out, forcing them to foul Airs forward Tylor Ongwae who would make it a two-possession ball game with both made free throws.

A bank three-pointer by Everard Bartlett would close the game to within one but it would be not enough as the Airs move back up to .500 with their second win of the season.

It would be an ugly fourth quarter from the Hawks, managing only eight points to the Airs 15. Ongwae led Taranaki again with 21 points, centre Daniel Gomis added a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds, and former Hawk Alonzo Burton added 13.

Everard Bartlett scored a team high 21 points, but struggled from the field shooting 6/17. Forward, Greg Fiorentinos added 12 points and 13 rebounds, and both Foz and Darryl Jones each added 10 off the bench.

Jarrod Kenny joined the Hawks for the first time this season and gave his side much needed stability at the point guard position dishing out seven assists and grabbing seven rebounds.  Kenny ended up playing 37 minutes but struggled from the field with six points on 1/7 shooting.

The Hawks will have another chance to end their losing streak at home to the Wellington Saints next Saturday night. Taranaki will try to win their first home game of the season when they play the SIT Zerofees Sharks next Friday night.

Sunday, March 26

 

At Pettigrew Green Arena, Taradale 

Taylor Hawks 75 (Everard Bartlett 21, Greg Fiorentinos 12, Darryl Jones 10, Joshua Fox 10)

Taranaki Mountainairs 76 (Tylor Ongwae 21, Alonzo Burton 13, Daniel Gomis 13)

Live Stats Link

The Canterbury Rams have cruised to a 114-80 win over the struggling Mike Pero Nelson Giants.

49 combined points from Jeremy Kendle and Marcel Jones helped guide Canterbury who shot 58% from the field and 50% from the three-point line.

The Giants scored the opening bucket but from there on it would be all Canterbury as they scored the next thirteen points and win the opening period 28-15.

The visitors would extend their lead to 22 in the second period but Nelson were able to score the last five points to trail by 17 at the half.  Canterbury would not allow any Giants comeback in the second half outscoring the home-side 57-40.

It is the second time this season that Nelson has lost by 30 plus and now they slump to 0-3 this season which is the worst start for the franchise since 2011.

Again, the issue for the Giants was defense as the 114 allowed is the most since 2008, eclipsing the previous most of 113 scored by the Manawatu Jets.

Both Finn Delany and Curtis Washington scored 15, and Dion Prewster had is best offensive game of the season with 13.

Canterbury move to 2-2 and will next play on Friday night at home against the James Blond Supercity Rangers (2-0) who defeated them in the opening round. Nelson will have another tough game next Thrusday when they play at home to the SIT Zerofees Sharks.

Tomorrow, Round Two will conclude when the Taylor Hawks try to end their 22-game losing streak against the Taranaki Mountainairs who are coming off a loss to the Rangers on Friday. The game will be live streamed on NZ Herald and live on Maori TV.

 

Saturday, March 17

At Trafalgar Centre, Nelson

Mike Pero Nelson Giants 80 (Finn Delany 15, Curtis Washington 15, Dion Prewster 13)

Canterbury Rams 114 (Marcel Jones 25, Jeremy Kendle 23, Marcus Alipate 15)

Live Stats Link