The Youthtown Auckland Stars claimed their first win of the season on Saturday night with a 91-86 home victory over cross-town rivals Appliance Shed Harbour Heat in round two of the Dominion Finance NBL.
Both teams competed hard, but with the game on the line Dylan Perfect-Tait hit a crucial three-pointer to give Auckland a five-point buffer, and Casey Frank converted four consecutive free-throws as the Stars handed the Heat their first defeat of the season.
The first quarter was a tightly contested affair as the lead swung back and forth. A three-pointer by Dylan Perfect-Tait at the end of the quarter gave the Stars a 22-21 edge at the first break.
Both teams traded baskets at the beginning of the second period until a mini-run by the Stars put them ahead by seven points midway through the quarter.
Casey Frank was forced to the bench after picking up his third foul, but Adrian Majstrovich picked up the slack by scoring all of Auckland’s points in a key 9-2 run to extend their lead to double digits.
Majstrovich capped off the quarter with a three-point play to give the Stars a 50-39 advantage and the momentum heading into the halftime break.
Auckland continued to apply the pressure at the beginning of the second half, stretching the lead out to 15 points midway through the third quarter and appeared to have the game well in their hands.
However, Harbour mounted a ferocious comeback, scoring 12 straight points to get themselves back into the game and were still within striking distance at the end of the third quarter – trailing 68-64.
Frank came out energised to start the fourth period, scoring seven points in the opening minutes to once again extend the margin to double digits.
But Harbour were not prepared to go down without a fight, with Tim Behrendorff hitting a rare three-pointer to cap a 9-0 run that pulled the Heat within two points with four minutes remaining in the game.
With just one minute on the clock and the Stars clinging to a slim two-point lead, the Heat had the ball in their hands and an opportunity to complete the comeback.
But they failed to capitalise on their next possession and the Stars made them pay for it at the other end of the court – Perfect-Tait found himself wide open behind the three-point line and the 20-year-old guard calmly knocked down the biggest shot of his NBL career to give the Stars an 87-82 advantage.
A hook shot by Behrendorff pulled the Heat back to within three points, but with little time left on the clock the Heat were forced to foul, sending Frank to the free-throw line where he sealed the game.
Casey Frank led all scorers with 31 points on 12/17 shooting, along with 9 rebounds, and is averaging 26.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in the early stages of the season.
Adrian Majstrovich provided a second scoring punch for the Stars with 29 points, while Dylan Perfect-Tait had three three-pointers in his 10-point haul.
After missing Auckland’s first game of the season, Dillon Boucher collected 13 rebounds, including 7 at the offensive end, and also added 4 assists.
The Heat had a balanced scoring attack with six players in double figures, led by Tim Behrendorff with 21 points on an efficient 8/9 from the field.
Daryl Cartwright finished with 19 points, Hayden Allen had 12 points, Oscar Forman and BJ Anthony had 11 points apiece, while Mika Vukona added 10 points.