An unbeaten top-of-the-table match-up looms as the end of the first round approaches.
The St Kilda Saints and Mid City Magic both continued their strong starts to the Dunedin men’s club season on Saturday.
Both claimed resounding wins to move to 4-0 records, as they prepare to face off in the final week of the first round of games.
The Saints took an early lead, which they continued to build on steadily, to claim a 93-61 win over the City Rise Bombers.
City Rise remained within touching distance at 26-17 at the end of the first quarter, schoolboy Ben Hoskin providing six of his eight points through that period.
But it was the closest they were able to get.
Tyler Lapham (18 points) scored four baskets early in the second quarter, driving a run which took the Saints to a 41-22 lead.
They extended that to 56-30 at halftime, continuing to stretch that to point where the margin hovered around 30 for most of the second half.
Lawson Morris-Whyte led the Saints with 19 points, while guard duo James Ross and Michael Ruske had 14 each.
Joseph Euphrat led the Bombers with 16 points.
The Magic beat its second A-grade team, the Magic Lions, 110-88 to maintain its unbeaten run.
The Lions hung around early, before a run late in the first quarter propelled the Magic to a 29-18 lead at the end of the first break.
That became 37-18 early in the second, the Magic opening a gap that never closed to single-digits thereafter.
It led 53-39 at halftime, which grew to 78-50 midway through the third quarter.
Oscar Hickey led the Magic with 23 points, including four three-pointers, while fellow guard Dallas Hartmann had 21.
Otago Boys’ High School guard Noah McDowall continues to impress for the Lions, putting up 17 points to lead.
In the late game, the Andy Bay Falcons completed a day of one-sided results with a 116-65 win over Varsity.
The Falcons held just a two-point lead midway through the second quarter, before a 19-4 run in the lead-in to halftime opened a gap.
They led 85-57 at the end of the third quarter, before holding Varsity to just eight fourth-quarter points.
Matt Pyper led the Falcons with 27 points, one of four players from his team to score over 20.
The win takes the Falcons to 2-2 for the season, bringing them level with the Lions in third place.
They will face off next week, while the winless duo of Bombers and Varsity will also play each other in the final week of the first round.
