RAMS NEWS: RAMS WEATHER MOUNTAIN AIRS STORM
by Piet Van Hasselt
20 July 2003

A flurry of three-pointers and 18 points from Willie Banks in the first stanza saw the Taranaki Mountain Airs jump out to an early lead, but Taranaki's shots stopped dropping and Canterbury controlled the tempo in the last three quarters to delight the home crowd with a win, 101-88.  Rams big-man John Whorton again led the way with 33 points and 18 rebounds.  But what was encouraging was the output from the other members of the squad with Dave Langrell, Tim Edmonds, Rewi Manahi, Jeremy Kench and Boyd Smart all filling their roles effectively.  Langrell hit some key shots in the fourth quarter and dished out seven assists.  Edmonds showed some range to his game with two three-pointers.  Manahi was tough on defence and dominated down low with a perfect six from six shooting.  Kench was the playmaker of the day for the Rams with seven assists and zero turnovers.  Smart returned from injury in style showing his athleticism on drives to the hoop.  After such a hot start, Banks cooled off, but still managed 29 points and MVP candidate Link Abrams accumulated 27 points in a workmanlike effort.  Foster was on fire early with 11 first quarter points, but suffered the same fate as Banks with missed shots.

Canterbury Rams 101 (John Whorton 33, Dave Langrell 16, Tim Edmonds 14, Rewi Manahi 13)
Taranaki Mountain Airs 88 (Willie Banks 29, Lincoln Abrams 27, Mike Foster 14)
Halftime 56-48

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