The Otago Nuggets might be set to claim yet another wooden spoon, but they are not going down without a fight.
A much-improved second half could not prevent the Nuggets slipping to a 91-88 loss to the Taranaki Mountain Airs in New Plymouth last night.
The visitors bounced back from a poor first quarter, which they lost 30-20, to get to within a point of Taranaki with just over a minute to play.
Point guard Scott O'Gallagher claimed an offensive rebound and made the shot to make it 87-86.
The Mountain Airs also made their next bucket, but Ricki Buckrell responded for the Nuggets.
The key play came with 19sec on the clock, when Nuggets centre Craig Bradshaw turned the ball over. Forced to foul, the Nuggets gave Taranaki two chances from the line, and Zane Meehl converted both.
Bradshaw jacked up a three-point attempt to try to level the scores, but it missed.
Bradshaw finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, but he shot poorly: eight-of-24 from the field, and just one-of-11 from three-point range.
O'Gallagher had 22 points, and Mark Morrison had 14 points and six rebounds.
Marcus Campbell led Taranaki with 24 points and 15 rebounds, backed by Link Abrams and Jack Leasure, each of whom scored 17.
The Nuggets finish their season tonight with another road game, against the Waikato Pistons. Hawkes Bay smashed Southland 96-70 in the other game last night.
• In New Plymouth: Taranaki 91 (Marcus Campbell 24, Link Abrams 17, Jack Leasure 17), Otago 88 (Scott O'Gallagher 22, Craig Bradshaw 21). Halftime: 46-34.
• In Napier: Hawke's Bay 96 (Chris Daniel 20, Galen Young 15, Jarrod Kenny 14), Southland 70 (Sylvester Spicer 20, Mike Rose 17, Dan Peck 11). Halftime: 41-33.
• The Otago Goldrush picked up an important 56-49 win over the Southland Pearls in the second women's qualifying tournament on the North Shore yesterday.
Otago, missing its three top players, needed the win to be assured of a place in the top five at the national finals.
The finals are to be played in Dunedin early next month.
