The Southland Sharks beat the Nelson Giants 83–71 on Saturday night, grinding out a win that required a strong fourth quarter to seal.
It wasn't clean. Nelson came out sharp, with Shane Gatling draining two threes in the first quarter off the back of a 56-point team performance the night before. The Giants carried that energy early, and the Sharks had to earn the lead the hard way — taking it late and holding on.
Sam Timmins was the story of the night. Twenty-two points, 22 rebounds, four blocks. A double-double doesn't cover it — that's a performance that dominated both ends of the floor. Brayden Inger added 18 points, and Caleb Asberry contributed 17 points alongside six assists to round out a well-spread Sharks attack.
For Nelson, Kruz Perrott-Hunt led with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists. Gatling finished with 20 points despite cooling after his hot start. Both Giants contributors were excellent — just not enough.
Final score: Sharks 83, Giants 71.
The Rapid League game earlier in the night was even more one-sided. Southland opened with an 8–0 run from the opening tip and never looked back, winning 35–24. Quake Webster led the Sharks with nine points and four assists. Tautoko Wynyard controlled the boards with nine rebounds to go with eight points and two blocks. For the Giants, James Matthews top-scored with seven points. The result was settled early and stayed that way.
Two wins at home. A big night for the Sharks.