PROTECT
THE 'HOME PADDOCK'
20 JUNE 2001
by Piet Van HasseltThe WestpacTrust
Canterbury Rams must protect their ‘home
paddock’ when the PoeNamo Basketball Kings
from North Harbour visit the WestpacTrust Centre
on Sunday afternoon (2pm tip-off).
At the mid-point of the Rams season, the team has
already doubled last year’s number of wins
and are in fourth place on the league table with
a 4 win-4 loss record. After completing an
exhausting three games in four days a fortnight
ago, the Rams enjoyed a bye weekend and are now
focused on creating some ‘home cooking’.
The Rams remaining five home games are vital to
the team’s chances of finishing in the top
four of the NZBL points table and qualifying for
the playoffs.
Rams Fans will remember the amazing
come-from-behind victory when these two teams met
in the same building last season. The Rams were
down 20 points with eight minutes remaining but
pulled out a scintillating 77-76 victory.
The Rams season has been a roller coaster ride
thus far, but the team will need to bring their
‘A game’ to beat a strong Kings unit.
The match-up of the game will focus on the
titanic inside clash between the games big-men:
Rams John ‘Pope’ Whorton and Andrew
Gardiner vs. Kings Brian ‘Junkyard Dog’
Gomes and Larry Hubbard. Both teams rely heavily
on this interior scoring, being first and third
in the points in the paint (the key area)
category: Kings 28.9 and Rams 27.3 per game. What
Gomes lacks in height he makes up with heart, but
Whorton’s massive chiselled frame will be
difficult for the likes of Gomes and Hubbard to
stop. Gardiner has been ‘on-fire’ since
the Tall Black training camp, scoring 12, 13 and
15 over the Rams last three games.
Another interesting match-up will be between the
two versatile guard/forwards: Rams ‘Captain
Courageous’ Dave Langrell vs. Kings
silky-smooth Brad Riley. Look out for some deadly
outside shooting from Langrell who is among the
league leaders in three point shooting with
40.2%. The Rams are unbeaten when Langrell scores
15 points or more (3 wins).
Two of the Rams squad members will be battling
with some of their former team-mates as NZBL
veteran forwards Craig Farrant and Gardiner both
represented the Kings from 1990-97.
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