THE FRANKLIN Bulls fell out of the playoff race in the 2021 NZ NBL season after an 87-71 defeat to the Canterbury Rams Thursday at Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre.
Deshon Taylor steered the visitors with 24 points, six assists, five rebounds, and three steals to improve to 7-6.
Edward Singler added a double-double with 18 points, 12 boards, and six assists, while Samuel Smith got 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep, on top of three rebounds as the Rams won two straight games.
It was the bench, however, which made the difference for Canterbury, scoring 27 points from its reserves, including the 10 unanswered points that turned the game from a 69-59 lead early in the payoff period to a 20-point advantage, 79-59 with a Max Darling bucket with 6:20 left.
Franklin's struggles continued as it fell to a 4-10 record.
Manel Ayol carried the fight for the Bulls with 20 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and two assists, but he can't stop them from suffering back-to-back losses.
Isaac Davidson also chimed in 19 points, six dimes, and five boards, while Kyrin Galloway collected 17 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks.
Fil-Am shooter Joseph Nunag contributed seven points on 1-of-3 clip from deep, while also dishing out two assists.
Franklin hits the road anew when it plays the Hawke's Bay Hawks (9-3) at Pettigrew Green Arena. Mark Ernest V. Villeza
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
