Wellington Powers Past Sharks with Dominant Home Win
Elijah Pepper of the Saints during the NBL - Wellington Saints v Sharks at TSB Arena. Photo by Masanori Udagawa.
The Mills Albert Wellington Saints produced another commanding performance at TSB Arena on Saturday afternoon, defeating the SBS Bank Southland Sharks 119 to 94.
After a tightly contested opening quarter, the Saints began to find their rhythm on both ends of the floor. Efficient shooting, strong ball movement and relentless offensive pressure saw Wellington build a healthy lead before halftime, then extend their advantage throughout the second half.
The Saints' depth was on full display, with contributions coming from across the roster as they maintained their intensity for the full 40 minutes. Wellington controlled the boards, created valuable second chance opportunities and continued to convert at a high rate to finish with 119 points.
Elijah Pepper led the scoring with 29 points, adding seven rebounds and five assists in another standout performance. Akech Aliir continued his strong form with 26 points, three rebounds and three assists, while Carlin Davison finished one assist short of a triple double, recording 19 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.
The Sharks continued to compete throughout the contest, led by Samuel Timmins, who finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds. Keylan Boone added 20 points and eight rebounds, while Rylan Jones chipped in with 12 points and four assists.
The victory adds another important result to the Saints' season as Wellington continues to build momentum heading towards the playoffs.
Rapid League
The Mills Albert Pathways Wellington Saints produced an impressive second half comeback to defeat the SBS Bank Southland Sharks 51 to 34 in the Rapid League curtain raiser.
Southland made the brighter start, taking a 12 to 9 lead at quarter time behind the shooting of Quake Webster and the scoring of Dane Bertinshaw. The Saints responded before halftime to cut the margin to a single point before taking complete control after the break.
Led by Aubrey Chunga's perimeter shooting, Mercury Nonu's attacking play and valuable contributions from Arthur Pilcher, Sam Gold and Arana Robertson, Wellington outscored the Sharks 29 to 11 across the second half to secure a convincing victory.
Chunga led the Saints with 20 points, while Pilcher added eight points, three rebounds and three assists. Webster finished with 17 points to lead the Sharks, with Bertinshaw contributing 10 points.
