Posted on Saturday, July 4th, 2026
Game Recap: Nuggets v Saints
Result: Night ‘n Day Otago Nuggets (90) are defeated by Mills Albert Wellington Saints (91)
The Wellington Saints edged out a thrilling 91-90 victory after a dramatic finish. The contest opened at a rapid pace with both teams trading three pointers throughout the first quarter. Ethan Rusbatch found his rhythm early from beyond the arc as the score remained tight, with the Saints taking a slim 22-21 lead into the first break. The Nuggets responded in the second quarter with both teams continuing to push their fast tempos. Elijah Pepper drove aggressively to the basket while Alain Louis controlled the offense. In the minutes of the half, Louis found Tyson Tata-Paese with a bounce pass for a strong finish at the rim, which helped Otago get the advantage at halftime (46-44).
The second half delivered key highlight plays with Tuach throwing down a dunk while Elijah was firing up in the paint in return. Despite the Nuggets’ efforts the Saints regained the lead late in the quarter to take a 69-65 advantage into the final quarter. The fourth quarter displayed everything: blocks, drives, clutch baskets, and relentless defense from both sides. The game came down to the final seven seconds when Elijah sprinted the ball up the floor and found Braydon Luli for a layup to put the Saints ahead by one point. Otago’s final shot came up short which Wellington held on for a 70-69 win.
Leading Players
Night ‘n Day Otago Nuggets: Craig Moller(22pts, 7reb, 1ast), Tyson Thata-Paese (20pts, 2reb, 3ast), Ethan Rusbatch (19pts, 4reb, 3ast)
Mills Albert Wellington Saints: Elijah Pepper (28pts, 8reb, 5ast), Akech Aliir (25pts, 7reb, 4ast), Donte Ingram (14pts, 8reb, 1ast)
MVP Votes:
Elijah Pepper (Saints) – 10
Akech Aliir (Saints) – 6
Craig Moller (Nuggets) – 6
Tyson Thata-Paese (Nuggets) – 5
Hyrum Harris (Saints) – 2
Ethan Rusbatch (Nuggets) – 1
Rapid League
Result: Result: Otago Nuggets (28) are defeated by Mills Albert Pathways Wellington Saints (30)
Leading Players
Otago Nuggets: Patrick Tipene (10pts, 1reb), Zach Mckenzie (8pts, 3reb, 1ast)
Mills Albert Pathways Wellington Saints: Mercury Nonu (8pts, 1reb, 1ast), Sam Gold (5pts, 5reb)
MVP Votes:
Patrick Tipene (Nuggets) – 5
Sam Gold (Saints) – 5
Zach Mckenzie (Nuggets) – 5
Hassan Munir (Saints) – 5
Aubrey Chunga (Saints) – 4
Mercury Nonu (Saints) – 4
Christian Martin (Nuggets) – 1
Caleb Smiler (Nuggets) – 1