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    Wellington still makes noise even on Ken Tuffin, Joseph Nunag's silent night

    Saints remain unbeaten as Fil-Kiwis record scoring-lows
    May 20, 2021

    UNDEFEATED still are the Wellington Saints as they pulverized the Franklin Bulls, 111-82, in the 2021 NZ NBL season Thursday at TSB Bank Arena.

    Kerwin Roach Jr. led the pouncing with his 22 points on 4-of-10 shooting from deep, while also adding nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals to keep the Saints at the top of the standings at 5-0.

    He led the Wellington eruption in the second quarter, turning the game from a close 31-28 affair with 6:10 left in the period to a 55-38 halftime lead thanks to a blazing 24-10 assault.

    That run allowed the Saints to break the game wide open, leading by as many as 32 points, 100-68 after a Romaro Gill slam with 4:54 remaining.

    The towering Gill came off the bench and produced 17 points and six rebounds, while Tohi Smith-Milner chipped in 14 points, four boards, three steals, and two assists.

    Dion Prewster was happy to set the Saints up as he wound up with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals, former La Salle forward Taane Samuel added 12 points, six boards, three dimes, and two steals, and Isaac Miller-Jose got 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists in the win.

    It was a silent night for Fil-Kiwi players Ken Tuffin and Joseph Nunag as the former Far Eastern University stalwarts recorded season-lows in scoring in this much-awaited duel.

    Tuffin made his first start for Wellington but only scored three points to go with a rebound and an assist in his 15 minutes of play.

    Meanwhile, Nunag made only one of his two shots from deep to finish with five points and one rebound in 22 minutes of action for Franklin.

    Defense keyed the Saints in this matchup, winning the battle of the boards, 41 to 20, to make up for their subpar 10-of-34 shooting (29-percent) clip from beyond the arc.

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    They also caged the Bulls' top producers, with Josh Selby limited to just 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting and with just four assists, while Dane Brooks held to 16 points on a 6-of-10 clip, alongside three steals and two boards.

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      Wellington ends its five-game homestand when it hosts the Auckland Huskies next Friday (3-2).

      Franklin, on the other hand, falls to an even 3-3 record and will only have a one-day break before taking on the Canterbury Rams (2-3) at Cowles Stadium on Saturday.
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