The Sky Broadband Rapid League tipped off the week with a match-up between the Taranaki Airs and the Franklin Bulls in New Plymouth. The Airs wasted no time jumping on their visitors, with Jaylen Gerrand and Jack Exeter finding space around the rim before Cameron Quinell made back-to-back triples to open an 8-point quarter-time lead. The onslaught continued in the second, highlighted by seven straight points to build the margin to 12 at the half. That proved more than enough, as the Airs’ defense was stout—holding the Bulls to just 38% shooting and keeping them from reaching double figures in any quarter. Taranaki cruised to a 47–27 win, posting the highest score of the round.
Taranaki Steeelformers Airs 47 - Jack Exeter (17pts, 3rbs, 2ast, 6-9 fgs), Quintin Bailey (7pts, 5rbs, 2ast), Zavier Adam (3pts, 4ast, 1rb)
Franklin Bulls 27 - Harri Coker-Grey (9pts, 1rb, 1ast), Zion Anderson (8pts, 4ast)
The next game didn’t reach the same heights offensively but delivered a tighter contest. Tukaha Cooper scored the first five points as the home team (Southland Sharks) held the visitors to just three points in the first quarter. Five second-quarter free throws and a buzzer-beating Harry Keighley tip-in gave the Hawks their first lead. Cooper carried the offense for the Sharks in the second half, but a collective effort from the Hawks—featuring Campbell Scott, Kobe Kara, and Kahu Treacher—kept the scoreboard ticking. The Hawks’ defense held the home side to 37% shooting and forced nine turnovers, enough to claim the road win.
Southland Sharks 22 - Tukaha Cooper (15pts), Dane Bertinshaw (4pts, 4rbs)
Total Energies Hawks 28 - Kobe Kara (9pts, 7rbs, 1ast, 1stl), Campbell Scott (8pts, 4rbs, 4ast, 3stsl)
The Saints traveled to Tauranga hoping to hold onto second place, while the Whai aimed to rebound from a snapped three-game win streak. Rangimarie Dougall-Mita and Kazlo Evans Jr. combined for all 12 Saints points in the first, doubling up the home team to take a 6-point quarter-time lead. But the Whai came alive in the second with threes from Xanda Marsters and Jayden Bezzant, cutting the lead to just one at the half. Sean Murphy and Marsters then combined for 10 in the third, as the Saints managed just five points—all from Evans Jr. The Whai defense shut the door in the fourth, holding the Saints to a single point to seal the win and leapfrog them on the ladder.
Amohia Te Waiora Tauranga Whai 28 - Sean Murphy (11pts, 5rbs, 5-8 fgs), Xanda Marsters (11pts, 1rb)
Mills Albert Pathways Wellington Saints 26 - Kazlo Evans (15pts, 2rbs, 3ast, 1stl), Rangimarie Dougall-Mita (4pts, 1ast)
The Canterbury Rams traveled to Nelson riding a three-game win streak, but the Giants sat atop the ladder with a five-game streak of their own. The first quarter was all Rams, with four players scoring to build an 11–0 lead. The Giants found life with four late points before the break. The second quarter flipped the script: the Rams managed just four points, while Alex McNaught hit two of the Giants’ three triples to take a 17–15 halftime lead. But a 12–2 third-quarter run reasserted Rams control. The 8-point buffer was enough to trade buckets in the fourth, ending the Giants’ streak while extending the Rams’ to four games—thanks to four players scoring 9+ points.
NBS Nelson Giants 30 - Lachlan Crate (10pts, 3rbs, 1ast), Hayden Jones (7pts, 3rbs, 1blk)
BBQ’s Direct Canterbury Rams 40 - Tama Isaac (10pts, 3 rbs), Mana Martin (9pts, 1rb, 1ast), Jake Holmes (9pts, 2rbs, 4ast, 1blk)
In Dunedin, the Nuggets hosted the Hawks on the second leg of their southern swing, both sides looking to notch a second straight win. Christian Martin gave the Nuggets a first-quarter lead with a triple, but that would be their last of the day. A balanced Hawks attack stretched the lead to seven by halftime. The Nuggets trimmed it to three on a Liam Boomer layup, but the Hawks responded with 15 unanswered points to put the result beyond doubt.
Night ‘n Day Otago Nuggets 31 - Christian Martin (12pts, 3rbs, 1ast), Matthew Bardsley (5pts, 2rbs, 1ast), Liam Boomer (5pts, 2rbs)
Total Energies Hawks 42 - Kahu Treacher (13pts, 8rbs, 1ast), Jacob Murphy (9pts, 1rb, 4ast, 2stls, 2blks)
The Jets hosted the Bulls at the Hangar in Palmerston North, and they were far from gracious hosts—jumping out to a 10–2 lead that ballooned to 17 at its peak. Sharp shooting from Tyson Thata-Paese and Kairangi Te Huki, who combined to go 6-of-11 from deep, helped power the win. The Jets’ defense held the Bulls to 32% shooting and just 17% from beyond the arc, snapping their own three-game losing streak while handing the Bulls their third straight loss.
Property Brokers Manawatu Jets 39 - Tinashe Matambanadzo (13pts, 4rbs, 2ast, 1stl), Tyson Thata-Paese (11pts, 2rbs, 3ast), Kairangi Te Huki (9pts, 6rbs)
Franklin Bulls 29 -Payton Hughes (9pts, 3rbs, 1ast, 1stl), Harri Coker-Grey (6pts, 2rbs, 2ast, 1blk)
In the final game of the round, the Saints and Tuatara were both looking to bounce back from two losses in their last three. The Saints aimed to stay in the title mix, while the Tuatara were eager to climb away from the bottom. The first quarter belonged to the Saints, with Kazlo Evans Jr. scoring 5 of their 7 points. Zach Riley hit the only basket for the Tuatara. A more balanced second quarter kept the margin at four at the break. Auckland took their first lead in the third on Riley free throws, and a Sam Gold three-point play made it 19–18. But that would be their final lead, as Dylan Wilkie rattled off eight straight points to give the Tuatara a 7-point cushion heading into the final quarter. Evans Jr. worked hard in the fourth, but the Tuatara held on for a much-needed 37–28 win.
Auckland Tuatara 37 - Zach Riley (15pts, 3rbs, 1ast, 1stl), Dylan Wilkie (8pts, 1rb, 2stl)
Mills Albert Pathways Wellington Saints 28 - Kazlo Evans Jr (15pts, 1rb, 2stls), Arthur Pilcher (4pts, 3rbs, 1ast)
Simply Rapid
2025 Rapid League Leading Scorers (average)
Tyson Thata-Paese (Jets) - 17 ppg
Tama Isaac - 11.3 ppg
Mac Stodart (Nuggets) - 11.0 ppg
Christian Martin (Nuggets) - 10.1 ppg
2025 Rapid League Leading Rebounders (average)
K.C. Nwafor (Bulls) - 5.4 rpg
Sam Dempster (Giants) - 4.6 rpg
Josh Leger (Tuatara) - 4.5 rpg
2025 Rapid League Leading Assists (average)
Kazlo Evans Jr (Saints) - 2.8 apg
Christian Vano (Bulls) - 2.8 apg
Hayden Jones (Giants) - 2.3 apg
2025 Rapid League Leading Steals (average)
Jett Thompson (Whai) - 1.6 stlspg
Tinashe Matambanadzo (Jets) - 1.4 stlspg
Kazlo Evans Jr (Saints) - 2.4 stlspg
2025 Rapid League Leading Blocks (average)
K.C. Nwafor (Bulls) - 1.3 blkspg
Lukah Richards (Saints) - 1.2 blkspg
Josh Crowley (Jets) - 1.0 blkspg
Rapid Ladder
10-3 - Giants
9-3 - Whai
8-4 - Rams
9-5 - Saints
7-6 - Nuggets
7-6 - Hawks
5-7 - Airs
5-7 - Tuatara
4-8 - Jets
4-9 - Bulls
1-11 - Sharks
