Saints dominate Hawks behind Davison triple double and Pepper scoring burst

The Mills Albert Wellington Saints produced a commanding performance at TSB Arena, defeating the Big Barrel Hawke’s Bay Hawks 107 to 79.

Wellington set the tone early. Elijah Pepper found his range from the perimeter while Carlin Davison controlled the game with his playmaking and rebounding. The Saints built a 24 to 12 lead at the end of the first quarter and never gave it up.

Hawke’s Bay responded through Jackson Ball and Keanu Rasmussen, who helped cut into the margin during the middle stages. The Saints answered in the third quarter. Strong defensive stops led to transition scoring, while Pepper continued to hit from deep and Davison impacted every possession.

Davison finished with a triple double, recording 13 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Pepper led all scorers with 26 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists. Donte Ingram added 12 points and seven rebounds to support the effort.

The Hawks were led by Jackson Ball with 29 points. Jeremy McLaughlin added 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while Chase Jeter recorded a double double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Saints closed the game with control on both ends to secure the 28 point win.

MVP votes reflected Wellington’s dominance. Davison received the maximum 10 votes, followed by Pepper with eight. Ball led the Hawks with six votes, while Akcech Aliir picked up four for the Saints.

Rapid League recap

The Mills Albert Pathways Wellington Saints also claimed a 47 to 40 win over the TotalEnergies Hawke’s Bay Hawks in the Rapid League clash.

The game stayed tight throughout, with neither side able to create separation across the first three quarters. Wellington lifted defensively in the fourth, holding the Hawks to limited scoring opportunities.

Hassan Munir and Aubrey Chunga made key plays late to close out the result. Chunga led the Saints with 12 points, while Munir added 11 points, four rebounds and four assists. Arthur Pilcher contributed 10 points.

Jacob Murphy led the Hawks with 14 points, while Tommy Fergusson added 10.

Chunga earned 10 MVP votes for his performance, with Munir collecting eight. Murphy led Hawke’s Bay with six votes.