The Southland Sharks beat the Canterbury Rams 103-98 on Saturday, a result that came down to which side could string together the bigger quarters — and it was Southland who answered that question twice.
Neither team was at full strength. The Sharks were without Sam Timmins, an MVP candidate, while the Rams were missing both Taylor Britt and Tamenang Choh, also lost to international window commitments. For a match between the second and third seeds, the absentee list was significant.
The Rams took the lead in both the first and third quarters. It wasn't enough. Southland outscored Canterbury in the second and fourth, and that pattern — ceding the odd quarter, winning the game — proved decisive.
Keylan Boone was the standout. Thirty-five points, ten rebounds, and a share of the top MVP vote count alongside Rylan Jones. Jones added 27 points, five rebounds, six assists and five steals. Between them, they took the Sharks home.
For the Rams, Walter Brown stepped into the void left by Britt and led the game in assists with 10. Jack Andrew was sharper still — 22 points on 81% shooting, with 11 rebounds. Impressive numbers from a side that, despite the losses, never stopped competing.
The final margin was five points. It could easily have gone the other way.
The Sharks also won the Rapid League match, 38-32. A closer affair than the scoreline suggests — Southland led by two after the first quarter, extended to four, then six at three-quarter time. The Rams couldn't close it in the fourth.
Quake Webster led the Sharks with 10 points and picked up the Rapid League MVP votes alongside Jack Ramage, who finished with nine points. For Canterbury, Milan Newton and Brody Cooper each put in solid shifts but couldn't manufacture the win.