The Saints ran away from the Southland Sharks in the battle of the two big guns in an NBL match in Wellington last night.
The Saints ended up winning 126-102, and were too strong all around the court.
Southland led 27-26 after the end of the first quarter, and the game was close for most of the second quarter.
But the home team pulled away near the end of the first half and went into the main break ahead 63-58.
The Saints then pulled away and had a healthy 20-point lead, 99-79, by the end of the third quarter.
The Sharks just could not get back into the match.
The Saints are shaping up to be the team to beat in the NBL, although they have a big game against the Canterbury Rams tomorrow night.
Best for the Saints was big Rob Loe, who scored 24 points and picked up seven rebounds.
Shea Ili chipped in with 23 points and was in control throughout the match.
Best for the Sharks was Dominique Kelman-Poto with 25 points, while Jarrod Weeks tallied 21 and Thomas Vodanvich bagged 14 points.
The Saints shot at more than 55% and sunk 15 three-pointers, which was always going to be too tough for the Sharks.
The Sharks conceded twice as many turnovers as the Saints, and that statistic meant there was little chance of the expected close contest.
