TIGHT END TO GAME TO GET THE WIN

IMS Payroll Hawks have won the game off a Jarrod Kenny alley-oop layup on the buzzer for the 91-89 win over the Canterbury Rams.

Rams looked like they were going to come away with the upset win when forward Matt Rogers was fouled on a make with a chance to take a one point lead with 0.8 seconds left.

A Rogers free throw rattled around the hoop, but the Hawks managed to tip the ball off rim, which after a lengthy discussion from the referees, the decision was made that there was no goal tend and that the Hawks would have possession at half way from a time out they called.

Hawks coach Tab Baldwin then drew up the play which went to plan with the Kenny game winner.

Guard Marco Alexander continues his good run of form, scoring a game high 28, as the Hawks move to 6-2.

Rams stormed back into the contest in the third quarter, outscoring the home side 37-14.

But the Hawks would return the favour, winning the final period 31-16.

Matt Rogers scored 28 points and new recruit Marcel Jones gave Canterbury and extra offensive option, scoring 11 points off the bench.

IMS PAYROLL HAWKS UPSET SHARKS IN INVERCARGILL

The IMS Payroll Hawks have bounced back from their loss last night to defeat the Zerofees Southland Sharks 101-88 in Invercargill.

It was the absolute team performance from the Tab Baldwin coached side, as seven players reached at least double digits. A strong third quarter from the Bay was the difference, outscoring the home side 30-14, to hold a 72-56 heading into the fourth. The visitors pushed their lead to 21 after a Marco Alexander field goal, but Southland rallied and went on a 24-9 run to close the gap to six with still two minutes left.

A Kareem Johnson three point play pushed the lead back up to nine which gave the Hawks enough momentum to finish the game, putting their record to five wins and two losses.

The Hawks did an extremely good job of containing the Sharks leading scorer Reuben Te Rangi who was held to four points, shooting 1/8 from the field and turning the ball over four times. Sharks Coach Paul Henare moved import David Gruber into the starting line-up in place of Leon Henry. Gruber responded well with 23 points and 10 rebounds while Henry also had a good game of 16.

Kevin Braswell shared the game high honours with Gruber, but shot 7/20 as the Sharks suffer their second loss at home, pushing their win/loss back under .500.

IMS PAYROLL HAWKS GO DOWN IN OVER TIME.

OceanaGold Nuggets have ended the IMS Payroll Hawks four game winning streak with a 97-91 win.

In Dunedin the Nuggets have knocked the Hawks off second place with their second straight win at home. Veteran forward Brendon Polyblank continued his strong start to the season with a game high 25 points, and double-doubles from Troy Payne (16 points, 12 rebounds) and Warren Carter (21 points, 12 rebounds) have helped the Nuggets move to 4-1.

After missing the loss to Wellington last week, Mark Dickel returned to the lineup and tallied 11 points, 12 assists and six rebounds.

Last week’s player of the week Dustin Scott had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Jarrod Kenny scored 17 and Everard Bartlett added 16. The Hawks trailed by as many as seven in the second period, but off the bench guard Marco Alexander was the catalyst for their run, scoring 13 points in the period, as the visitors took a one point lead at the break.

Alexander ended the game with a team high 20 points in only 20 minutes. The visitors kept their lead intact for nearly all of the second half until Carter made a bucket with 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter which gave the Nuggets 79-78 lead. Nuggets would hold a slim 80-79 lead, but a turnover from Polyblank and then a fifth foul from Dickel on former Nugget Darryl Jones, gave the Hawks a chance to to tie or potentially win the game from the free throw line.

Jones would miss the first but slot the second as the game would go to an extra period. The visitors started the overtime well, holding a three point lead, but from there on it was all the home team who outscored the Hawks 17-8 to seal the victory.

It is the second straight time the two teams have had to battle it out in an extra period at the Edgar Centre, the Nuggets also prevailing 90-85. Hawks will have a stern test tomorrow when they travel to Invercargill to play the Zerofees Southland Sharks.

2014 NBL ROUND 4 MEDIA GUIDE

Following a great start to our season, four home game wins, IMS Payroll Hawks now embark on their first road trip to the deep south and take on both Otago Nuggets and Southland Sharks, tomorrow and Saturday.

Congratulations to Dustin Scott on being awarded Player of the Week, following to great double, double games….. Click Here

HAWKS WIN FIRST GAME AT HOME

Click Here

RESOLUTE ‘BIG MAN’ TO RUMBLE FOR HAWKS

When only a youngster, Dustin Scott had a “great childhood” but resented his older, bigger and stronger cousins bullying him and twin brother Justin on the backyard of their grandmother’s house in Charleston, South Carolina.

“[They] roughed us up a bit and pushed us around,” says Scott of how his cousins would pad up his two-minute older brother and him before pummelling them at games of American football in their equally “great neighbourhood”.

Ditto in basketball, from the age of 10, when the sons of Cathy and felt-maker Cardell Scott didn’t see much point in taking on their cousins, who were five years older than them, because finding the hoop or a touchdown became a seemingly impossible exercise.

It wasn’t until later the new IMS Payroll Hawks US import Dustin Scott realised how that systematic bullying helped hardened his resolve in sport.

“I didn’t like to be bullied but I see the benefits in it now,” he said yesterday only hours after touching down at Hawke’s Bay Airport in Napier after almost 26 hours of flight time.

That’s the sort of quiet but steely resolve Scott, who turns 29 on Monday, brings to the Hawks’ equation this season.

While instantly falling in love with the balmy Hawke’s Bay weather and some of his fellow Hawks teammates’ accents, the power forward/centre is under no illusions about how tumultuous the court of contention can be when the 2014 Bartercard National Basketball League tips off in April.

The Tab Baldwin-coached Bay franchise team will open their account away against seven-time champions Wellington Saints in the capital on Wednesday, April 2, at the TSB Arena from 7pm.

The Charleston University graduate, who played in the NCAA division 1, Southern Conference, isn’t daunted by the prospect of mixing it in the physicality stakes of the NBL although he was hoping to get some idea of how intense it can be during training with the Paora Winitana-captained side last night.

“The NBL is similar to Kosovo. The guys I have played there are very solid, seven footers,” said the man who stands just shy of 2m.

While not a 90 per cent three-point merchant, he oozes versatility – his rebound is spiffying, offensively and defensively, he can jump and, oh yes, he can “put the ball on the floor”.

“I’m an undersized big man but I like the contact,” he said, emphasising he had played position 4-5 (powerforward/centre) his entire career.

Needless to say, losing isn’t part of the constitution of a man who has won two cup championship (knockout) and league championship titles while plying his trade in Luxembourg, sandwiched between Germany and Belgium in western Europe, and Kosovo, in southeastern Europe, and Ecuadoir in South America.

When Baldwin cast his net out wide for imports, he revealed yesterday he hadn’t found much traction viewing one-game video clips until he saw Scott.

Among the big man’s attributes was his deceptive speed and dribbling skills and the level of athleticism he exuded.

Baldwin, in his second Hawks season, had asked himself: “Is it just the one-game video or is he a quality player?”

A Florida native from the southeastern region of the United States himself, the 55-year-old former Tall Blacks coach found comfort in dealing with Scott’s agent, Dale Mock, who also got ex-Hawk and ANBL pivot Josh Pace into the NBL arena.

“Dale’s an ex-coach and has integrity. I asked about Dustin’s character and he told he was a good man, didn’t get into trouble and is a professional,” said Baldwin, emphasising he had trawled neighbourhoods akin to those of Scott as a coach.

Furthermore, because he was already a big man, Baldwin didn’t have to focus on his pedigree as a basketballer.

“He’s a good fit for us so we’ll put him on court to find out more.”

Scott is there as a back up for Kareem Johnson, the other Hawk US import who is back this season as a No5 man (centre) after sitting out last year while Baldwin and the franchise unsuccessfully gambled on the player having his citizenship application stamped.

Johnson, 32, also from the southeast of the US, wife Lucia Sunseri, a Kiwi, and their children live in Napier but it could take up to five years for him to fulfil citizenship criteria and anything earlier would be the prerogative of the Immigration Department.

American slasher (No3) Brian Greene, who deservedly collected a lion’s share of silverware last season, was surplus to requirements, Baldwin revealed in November, because they had signed Johnson who needed a big-rig back up.

He rightly deemed Greece-based import Darko Cohadarevic “too soft” and questioned the Serb’s character, which became clearer at the end of the season. The Hawks finished seventh in the nine-team league last winter.

Baldwin said Scott and Johnson could feed off each other but the former was equally adept at shifting to No5 should the latter need a rest or find himself flirting with foul trouble.

The new signing doesn’t have any qualms about sharing his views with a point guard on the floor, albeit tactfully, but has no designs on captaincy.

“Anybody can say anything. The big thing is to lead by example.

“You can’t ask others to rebound or box out if you’re not doing it yourself.”

IMS PAYROLL BECOMES HAWKS MAJOR SPONSOR

Hawke’s Bay sports greatest supporter has stepped up to be the naming rights sponsor of the Hawks basketball team.

Kevin Atkinson and his national payroll company IMS Payroll has increased their level of support, continuing a long standing partnership with the Hawks family.

Hawks board chairman David Aflallo said everyone within the organisation was thrilled that Mr Atkinson and IMS Payroll will be principal sponsor in 2014.

“We couldn’t have wished for a better outcome. Kevin has been a loyal and long standing supporter of basketball and the Hawks.

“We can now build a strong team to win the NBL title,” Aflallo said.

Mr Atkinson was an owner of the franchise for four years in the early 90s and IMS Payroll has been a significant financial sponsor since1990.

The Hastings based company with over 10,000 clients throughout New Zealand and the Pacific Islands also sponsors Hawke’s Bay United, Hawke’s Bay Rugby, the Hastings West Ross Shield Team and the Paora Winitana and Paul Henare Basketball Academy.

Mr Atkinson says he offered to step up to naming rights sponsor for 2014 to give some certainty of competing in the national league and to give the organisation some time to secure a long term sponsorship.

“It’s a one year deal, so that the Hawks can concentrate on winning the NBL title and be in a better position to attract a new major sponsor for a three year or longer deal.

“I’ve always been involved with the Hawks and it’s vital that the Hawke’s Bay community and basketball fans have a team in the NBL.

“The team has got a very strong chance of winning the title. They have a great coach in Tab Baldwin and there are some exciting player announcements in the coming weeks,” he said.

HAWKS LOOKING FOR NEW MAJOR SPONSOR

The Hawks basketball team is faced with the prospects of starting its New Zealand NBL season without a naming rights sponsor following the decision by HBS Bank to not renew its three-year contract.

The New Zealand NBL League starts in April and Hawks general manager Tanya Dearns needs to quickly find a replacement and the potential loss in revenue of between $50,000 and $80,000.

Dearns said there is no risk of the Hawks not competing in the NZNBL this season, but the void of a naming right sponsor will put considerable pressure on the organisation.

“HBS was at the end of its current sponsorship contract but we had hoped they would continue based on the performance of the team over the three years.

“We have appreciated the support by HBS Bank locally but the decision was made by its national office.

“We’re at a crucial stage in the lead up to the season, signing new players and re-signing existing players, along with the production of playing and training uniforms, so we need to find another company to step up pretty quickly,” Dearns says.

HBS will continue to be a sponsor but on a lower level.

The Tab Baldwin coached side just missed the top four playoffs last season but off season player recruitment is well underway with some “very exciting” announcements on the horizon.

“We’ve got some high profile top players that are very interested in playing for the Hawks, so Tab and his coaching team is very excited about a strong season.

Dearns says there has also been good interest from potential new sponsors but not at the naming rights level.

“We’ve had some great success signing up some new sponsors, who want to be part of the Hawks team and we will be in a position to announce them shortly too.

NEW HBS BANK HAWKS GM APPOINTED

When the door at the Magic netball franchise closed behind assistant coach Tanya Dearns she hoped another would open.

It has as the former Silver Ferns defender from Napier officially assumed the mantle of general manager of the HBS Bank Hawks basketball franchise yesterday.

According to the franchise board, Dearns’ strong playing, coaching and sports governance pedigree, accrued through her long association with basketball and netball, made her an ideal candidate for the role.

With the board seeking a new direction in its desire to bolster hoop heaven at all levels in Hawke’s Bay, it felt Dearns was an appealing draw card.

“The board’s vision for change won me over and I felt it was a great opportunity and that I could play a part in helping them achieve their plans for the future,” she said.

Her task is to create the best NBL team while working closely with the amateur body of Basketball Hawke’s Bay.

“Basketball is an entertainment and you want to provide that whole package that will draw the crowds,” she said.

Success at the top level has far-reaching spin-offs for the rest of the sport and that’s what we want to create in Hawke’s Bay.”

Dearns first played in the women’s national basketball league for Tauranga as a 16-year-old. She then had stints with Wellington, a couple of years playing in Melbourne and finishing off with the Bay.

She is a trustee on the board of Sport Hawke’s Bay. She was also a board member of the Golf Managers’ Association of New Zealand for six years and on the original advisory board when the New Zealand Institute of Sport was set up.
In netball, Dearns sat on the board of the Western Flyers franchise in her capacity as the regional manager for Eastern.

She has coached basketball and netball at myriad levels, her most recent role was assistant coach of Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic netball franchise in the transtasman competition.
“I’m really looking forward to the opportunity with the Hawks,” Dearns said.

“It’s a blank canvas, so what we are looking to do from here on in is really exciting … Our major focus is taking the vision that the board has got and putting it into a semblance of order, building some structures around that and making sure we’ve got buy in from all of our relevant parties.”
The Hawks board of directors welcomed Dearns’ expertise.

Board director David Aflallo said: “Tanya has a proven record of success on court and off court and will bring a wealth of experience to the Hawks both from an elite sports perspective and in the field of sport administration.

“The Hawks have a long and competitive history in the NBL and we are looking to build a team around our region’s support base that will bring a second NBL title to the Bay. Tanya’s appointment is another positive step on the way to that goal.”

– HAWKES BAY TODAY

GUTSY TALL BLACKS FALTER LATE AGAINST BOOMERS

– MARC HINTON

The fight was brave while it lasted, but in the end there was just too much Patty Mills for the Tall Blacks to handle at the NSEC.

Andrej Lemanis’ Australian Boomers won a cracking opener to the Fiba Oceania series over New Zealand’s Tall Blacks 70-59, though they had to make some pretty serious second-half adjustments to find their groove.

The Tall Blacks led by seven (39-32) at halftime and were only two points in arrears at the start of the final quarter, but it was the Boomers who fired all the shots over the run home as the New Zealanders ran out of gas.

Nenad Vucinic’s hosts scored just 20 second-half points (compared to Australia’s 38) and were held to a miserable seven points in the final stanza as their offence stalled completely. They made just seven of their 27 field-goal attempts after the major break.

Mills was superb, and a constant menace for the Tall Blacks at both ends of the court. He may do his best work waving his towel on the bench for the San Antonio Spurs, but in the international game he’s a class act, as we saw when he led all scorers at the London Olympics.

Mills finished with a game-high 20 points (8/18 FG, 2/9 3PT), five rebounds and four steals to provide the polish for what was, in the end, a solid performance.

David Andersen added 12 points (5/8 FG) and seven boards for the winners, while the sharpshooting Matthew Dellavedova had 11 points (4/9 FG) in a poised showing.

Corey Webster paced the Tall Blacks with 14 points (6/16 FG, 2/5 3PT), but managed just four after halftime as the Boomers put the defensive squeeze on him.

Mika Vukona added 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists, but he too was quiet over the final two periods. Casey Frank (nine points, four rebounds) and Tom Abercrombie (eight points, four boards) were the other chief contributors for the home side.

“That was not the result we wanted,” said a disappointed Vucinic afterwards. “That last quarter we really dropped in our performance. We ran out of options offensively and we turned the ball over a bit too much in the second half under their pressure. In the end they deserved their win.”

Vucinic felt experienced performers Abercrombie and Alex Pledger (six points, four rebounds) had both been below their best because of a lack of recent games, but would not blame that for his side’s cool second half.

Conversely, Boomers coach Lemanis was rapt with the way his side came out in the second half after he gave them a fairly stern halftime rev-up.

“We were much better defensively in the second half, we were more into it and over the course of 40 minutes I thought our extended pressure was able to wear them down a bit.

“And in the second half we did a much better job on offence of getting the ball into our bigs and attacking the rim, and it gave us much better results.”

Lemanis also lauded Mills’ performance.
“The thing I really enjoyed about it was he was into the defence, and he understands that’s how we need to play to be good. This team believes in him, and he’ll get his shots, but he also needs to play his part in getting shots for others.”
Vucinic’s young Tall Blacks had played a crazy good first half to lead the Boomers by seven (39-32) at the major break, and leave Lemanis with plenty to discuss in the sheds.

Offensively, it’s hard to imagine how the New Zealanders could have played better, with skipper Vukona (nine points on four-of-five shooting) and the slick Webster (10 points, including two of three from beyond the arc) leading the charge. Frank’s two triples were also handy.

The Tall Blacks shot a deadly 52 per cent from the floor and a spectacular 56 per cent from distance as they kept their score ticking over. They also scrambled well on defence and rebounded like terriers, to shade that count 17-16.

By comparison, the Boomers went at just 31 per cent from the floor and made only three of their 13 triple attempts as they relied heavily on 11 first-half points from Mills to keep them in the contest.

The Australians had led 21-18 at the end of the first quarter but a 21-11 second stanza from the Tall Blacks put them in the driver’s seat at the main interval.

Of course, the Boomers were going to make a run. And it came quickly after the resumption as Mills knocked down seven third-quarter points to kick-start a 22-13 period for the visitors, and a two-point lead (54-52) at the final break.
From there it was all the Boomers as they cruised to a victory that was a lot more comfortable than they could ever have imagined at halftime.

Game two is in Canberra on Sunday and it’s the New Zealanders with most of the adjustments to make.
Australia 70 (Patty Mills 20, David Andersen 12, Matthew Dellavedova 11) New Zealand 59 (Corey Webster 14, Mika Vukona 11, Casey Frank 9, Tom Abercrombie 8). 1Q: 21-18; HT: 32-39; 3Q: 54-52