Basketball: Re-marked centre court puts triples out of range

Three-pointers rained on the men's senior competition at the Edgar Centre on Saturday, yet there was something of a drought on centre court.

The Falcons won every quarter against the University Comets on court one, dismissing the students 92-66 with ease on the only court bearing Fiba's new official markings.

The deeper three-point line, 50cm further back at 6.75m from the hoop, yielded just eight triples compared to the 27 registered during the other two matches on court two.

In part, the Falcons' day-high 92 points can be attributed to their comparative reluctance to shoot the three.

Instead, they spaced the floor, overloading and breaking down the students' defence time and again with ball movement and dribble penetration.

Tim Courdet led the way with 17 points, Sam Patterson added 14 and Rick Barnesley had 13 for the well-balanced Falcons, whose full-court press caused the Comets no end of problems in the first half.

Campbell Arnott rebounded at both ends and altered numerous shot attempts in compiling 21 points in a well-beaten side.

The Bombers and Saints slumped to bad losses to the Magic and Otago Boys' High School respectively in shoot-outs on the court with the old markings.

Marshall Hall scored 16 points and Tom Allen had 11 and a two-handed breakaway dunk as the Bombers had no answer inside to the Magic's imposing front-line.

Magic shooting guard Adam Wheeler feasted on open jumpers as a result, nailing six threes on his way to a game high 31 points.

Elton Cotton scored 26 points and captain Steve Robinson added 17 for the Bombers, who never really threatened after a slow start.

OBHS used balanced scoring to beat the Saints 82-63 in the day's other game to maintain its position at the top of the table after seven weeks.

Captain Luke Aston scored 19 points, Ben Dick had 14 and Murray Clarke 11 as OBHS pulled away late against a Saints team without James Ross.

Cain Falconer scored 10 first-quarter points on the way to 14 for the Saints, who also got 16 from Lewis Barclay and 11 from Tom Tindale.

 

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