The NBL’s newly-crowned most valuable player has led the Southland Sharks to the big dance.
Josiah Allick had 21 points and 15 rebounds as the Sharks stunned the Canterbury Rams 101-82 in Saturday’s National Basketball League semifinal in Christchurch.
With that the Sharks will take a nine-game winning streak into Sunday’s final against the Wellington Saints, who beat the Tauranga Whai 93-68 in yesterday’s other semifinal.
Despite that run of form, and the Rams’ late-season wobbles, the result was still an upset.
The two-time defending champion Rams had beaten the Sharks by 49 points in their last meeting and have been team to beat in most of the season.
But the Sharks raced out the gate and led 28-14 at quarter-time, as the Rams struggled to finish and the Sharks made them pay.
The lead became 20 late in the second quarter at 44-24, and the game was all but done at end of the third quarter as the Sharks led 73-48.
Alongside Allick, who had his 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting, Caleb Asberry finished with 19 points on 9-of-12 from the field.
Keylan Boone added 18 points, while former Otago Nuggets centre Sam Timmins had 11.
Sean Macdonald led the Rams with 23 points.
Nick Marshall led the Saints with 22 points in their win yesterday. They will host the final.
— Allick was also named most outstanding forward, and was joined in the All Star Five by Macdonald, Marshall, Carlin Davison (Taranaki) and Jeremy Combs (Nelson).
Marshall was named most outstanding guard, while Wellington forward Hyrum Harris was named defensive player of the year.
— APL
