Posted on Wednesday, July 22nd, 2026
Game Recap: Whai v Nuggets
Result: Northern Group Tauranga Whai (107) defeat Night ‘n Day Otago Nuggets (66)
In a must win for the home side Whai, they’d be facing a different Otago Nuggets side. After nursing some injuries, the Nuggets wouldn’t be at full strength. With all five starters out, the Whai would have an easy path to a victory. After putting up some fight initially, the Whai would turn on the jets, with Reuben Te Rangi leading the way from outside and Anzac Rissetto inside. They’d put up 35 points in the first quarter, creating a 16 point gap. That gap would continue to grow as the game continued. It’d extend to a 107-66 win as the Whai would outrebound and outassist the Nuggets by decent margins. It was an all important victory for the Whai on their quest to the 6th seed.
Leading Players
Northern Group Tauranga Whai: Reuben Te Rangi (27p, 8r, 5a), Jayden Bezzant (20p), Anzac Rissetto (12p, 8r, 2a)
Night ‘n Day Otago Nuggets: Harry Bezett (17p, 4r), Zach Mckenzie (15p, 8r, 3a), Caleb Smiler (14p, 7r, 4a, 2s)
Rapid League game:
Result: Tauranga Whai (43) defeat Otago Nuggets (34)
Leading Players
Tauranga Whai: Jett Thompson (13p), Josh Kelly (12p, 4r)
Otago Nuggets: Zach Mckenzie (14p, 6r, 2a),