That is what you call a shark attack.
As one-sided as the 117-93 score looks, it probably flattered the losing Otago Nuggets side.
The Southland Sharks led 71-35 at halftime after a completely dominant first half last night in Invercargill.
It set the platform and while the Nuggets improved in the second half, they left themselves far too much to do after their worst half of the season.
The win confirms the Sharks’ spot in the National Basketball League’s Final Four in two weeks’ time.
Meanwhile, it leaves the Nuggets clinging to the smallest of hopes with two games left.
The Sharks essentially did what they wanted when they wanted in the first half.
They got to the hoop with ease, while hitting a range of uncontested three-pointers as the Nuggets defence was, at times, non-existent.
Meanwhile, their full court pressure generated turnovers and the visitors’ offence looked aimless.
The Sharks scored 32 and 39 points in the first two quarters, while the Nuggets were unable to reach 20 in either.
Southland hit 11 of 19 from the three-point line in that time, the trio of Brayden Inger (18 points), Alonzo Burton (16 points) and Josh Cunningham (21 points) hitting three each.
In contrast, Nuggets imports Isaiah Moss and Geremy McKay combined for just two first half points — and finished with a combined 16 points as foul trouble dogged both.
Otago turned the ball over 11 times to the Sharks’ zero in the first two quarters.
Sam Timmins did his best to keep the Nuggets in the game, posting a handy 26 points and 14 rebounds.
Luke Aston chipped in with 19 points in a very productive 21 minutes.
But there was little else on offer as Moss, with 11 points, was the only other to reach double-figures.
Conversely, the Sharks were led by Dominique Kelman-Poto, who had 25 points and nine rebounds with relative ease.
But it was the contributions it got right throughout its squad that were the difference.
Nuggets coach Brent Matehaere said the side was disappointed with its performance.
He said the Sharks had played well and the Nuggets’ lack of ability to cover the Southland shooters proved costly.
"I thought we were late on close outs, we weren’t getting across and defending shooters and so on," Matehaere said.
"We just left them wide open to knock down shots.
"Any time you’ve got good players that get open looks they tend to knock them down.
"I felt we weren’t aggressive, we were a bit passive at times and we paid the price."
He said the team had been mentally prepared and had its chances to come back in the second half.
However, it simply did not have an answer in the first half against a rampant Sharks team that had wanted to win.
A run late in the first quarter helped the Sharks take a 32-17 lead to quarter-time.
The margin became 20 early in the second quarter, before Inger hit three triples in a row as the score approached 60 midway through the second quarter.
Otago rallied after halftime, generating stops and getting its offence to click.
But the 36-point margin proved far too much to haul in.
The Nuggets now travel to face the Wellington Saints on Monday.
