The Southern Hoiho had no response once the Mid North Whai ignited.
The Hoiho had fought and scrapped for half a game.
As had been the case last Sunday, scoring had deserted it and a steely defensive effort gave the Hoiho a halftime lead.
A 25-24 buffer became a 53-30 deficit in the space of one quarter, as the Whai piled on 29 third-quarter points, while holding the Hoiho to just five.
It propelled the Whai to hand the Hoiho a 65-38 loss in Queenstown last night, leaving the southerners without a win three matches into Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa.
Neither team shot well from the three-point line — they combined for four of 47, the Hoiho managing just one of 20.
But the percentages inside the arc were a stark contrast.
The Hoiho finished on just 30% of its two-point attempts, while the Whai’s dominance both inside and in transition took it to 52%.
Kyra Lambert was integral to that for the visitor, the import guard posting 15 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Sharne Robati was similarly dominant, using her strength inside to top-score with 18 points on 50% shooting.
The Hoiho did not offer a similar threat.
Laina Snyder has attracted plenty of defensive attention since dropping 32 points on opening night, and was held to just seven points.
Jay Maoate-Breen had a couple of nice moments on the way to a team-high eight points, while the likes of Tori Dugan did well to find open shooters, as the Whai defence sucked in on her drives.
At some point this team has to start hitting those shots and finishing at a higher rate.
It was not any one person’s fault, but it was everyone’s fault at the same time.
They are doing plenty of good things.
But ultimately you have to put the ball through the hoop.
Someone has to step up and do that, as 38 points is not going to win many games.
Yet for half the game, the Hoiho stayed in touch.
It led most of the first half, keeping the Whai quiet, while Samara Gallaher and Maoate-Breen helped it to a 13-11 first quarter lead.
That became 21-11 early in the second quarter, as centre Shelby Cheslek scored on three consecutive possessions and Dugan added a floater.
The Whai reduced the deficit to one on halftime, before getting to the hoop in transition and through the post in the third quarter.
It took a 32-25 lead, at which point the Hoiho called timeout.
But the Whai ran rampant, Lambert and Robati leaving the game well out of reach by the end of the third quarter.
The Hoiho continues its campaign tomorrow, when it faces the Tokomanawa Queens in Wellington at 12.30pm.
It will be without head coach Charles Nix for a second game, the Australian having returned to Perth for family reasons and assistant coach Natalie Visger filling the void.
Hoiho general manager Angela Ruske confirmed Nix will return for the team’s game on July 20.
Tauihi Basketball
The scores
Whai 65
Sharne Robati 18, Kyra Lambert 15
Hoiho 38
Jay Maoate-Breen 8, Shelby Cheslek 7
Quarter scores: 11-13, 24-25, 53-30
