The Wellington Saints have secured their 13th National Basketball League (NBL) title with a gripping 88–83 victory over the Southland Sharks at TSB Arena.
Spurred on by a packed home crowd on Sunday night, the Saints overcame a halftime deficit to surge ahead in the second half and claim the championship.
Forward Hyrum Harris led the charge with 20 points and 14 rebounds, earning Most Valuable Player honours for his commanding performance. Jordan Ngatai followed closely with 19 points, while Nick Marshall added 18 points and 11 rebounds to round out a strong team display.
Southland started strongly, leading 44–41 at halftime and threatening to extend their nine-game winning streak. But the Saints turned up the intensity after the break, finding rhythm on both ends of the court to take control late in the game.
The win marks the first NBL title for Saints head coach Aaron Young, who had reached the final three times previously with Auckland Tuatara.
“This team showed incredible resilience tonight,” Young said. “They fought for every point and earned every bit of this win.”
