The EnviroNZ Franklin Bulls run in the New Zealand Basketball League has been halted with a 99-90 defeat at the hands of the Taranaki Mountainairs in their elimination playoff game Wednesday night.
The Airs dominated the game with their duo of All-Stars Derone Raukawa and Marcel Jones powering their charge. But the Bulls refused to give in and pushed their rivals right throughout the game – bouncing back from a double digit deficit at one point to get to within four points late in the final quarter.
Forward Dom Kelman-Poto double doubled with 31 points and 10 rebounds while guard Isaac Davidson scored 24 points in a losing cause.
The Airs will advance to Thursday night’s semi-finals, where they will play the Manawatu Jets for a place in the Grand Final. The Otago Nuggets meet the Canterbury Rams in the other semi-final.
Wednesday night’s loss ended the Bulls’ inaugural season in the league. While the expansion franchise will be rightly disappointed with how the final week went they should be encouraged by a successful first campaign in the most trying of circumstances as the league reacted to Covid-19.
The signs are positive and the people of Franklin should look forward to watching their local side in action in Pukekohe next season.
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