The Auckland Tuatara knocked over the previously unbeaten Otago Nuggets 93-84 at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin on Thursday night.
Coach Aaron Young’s side improved to 5-3 on the season and solidified third position on the ladder as a result.
It was a brilliant team performance, as Young got contributions across the board with starting shooting guard Cam Gliddon unable to travel for the game.
Centre Rob Loe had a big double double – 19 points and 16 boards – to go with two assists, two steals and two blocks, while guard Jarrad Weeks had 24 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
All five starters scored double digit points, but it was the contribution of youngsters Charlie Dalton (12 points, five rebounds, three assists) and Tom Beattie (15 points and four rebounds) that carried the Tuatara to their fifth win of the season.
Chris McIntosh filled in superbly for Gliddon, scoring 11 points, including three from long range, on a perfect shooting night.
The Tuatara head north to Christchurch for the second game of their double-header weekend against the second-placed Canterbury Rams on Saturday.