Jets' poor run continues

MURRAY WILSON/Manawatu Standard

READING THE RIOT ACT: Manawatu Jets coach Ryan Weisenberg implores his players to lift their effort at Arena Manawatu on Saturday against the Bay Hawks.

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Bye week couldn't have come at a better time for the underperforming Manawatu Jets.

They were hammered 118-76 by the Bay Hawks at Arena Manawatu on Saturday in a display that will leave Ryan Weisenberg and his coaching staff wondering what more they need to do.

A bizarre first quarter, which saw the Jets play as though they were asleep, decided the game as the Hawks racked up a 40-8 lead.

The Jets didn't get their first point until the Bay had 15 and trailed 35-2 at one stage. They only shot three from 20 in the first quarter.

The Jets don't play again until March 26 and Weisenberg said they would need every day until then to get better.

"Oh man, I would have paid millions for this bye right now," the American said after Saturday's game. "The bye couldn't be better."

The players who head north to meet the Harbour Heat could be different too, as the Jets coaches are set to take a look at the makeup of their squad.

"We've got way too much individualism," Weisenberg said. "We've got way too much, `I can do better than what's going on', and it shows out on the court."

There were problems across the board on Saturday night as the Jets didn't defend, they didn't rebound and were ice-cold from the floor, shooting 29 of 73 from the field.

The Jets had four scorers in double figures with Matt Te Huna leading the way with 16. American Richard Jeter got in foul trouble early and was limited to only 16 minutes with 11 points, two assists, two steals and the Jets' only block of the game.

American power forward Ronald Allen played despite having a back complaint and grabbed 12 points in 12 minutes from the bench. But the big issue with his performance was he didn't have a single rebound.

Weisenberg was unsure about Allen's injury status. But the Manawatu Standard understands Allen was all but on a plane back to the United States last week because the Jets suspected his back injury would rule him out in the short term.

More will be known on his health as the week progresses.

The defence was beyond poor from the Jets as the Hawks' guards knocked down shots with ease and former Jet Ben Hill nailed six from 10 three pointers as they fired 16 from 29 from beyond the arc.

"I'm going to probably get killed for saying this but I think five-year-old kids could have made those shots the way we were playing defence," Weisenberg said of his side.

"It's a lack of communication. It's almost looking like we are fighting each other and that's a shame."

Another former Jet, Jamil Terrell, had a game-high 23 points with six rebounds for the Hawks and the Jets management must have been wondering why they let him go to the Bay when he wanted to play for Manawatu this year.

Hawks coach Shawn Dennis said his side came out hard and ambushed the Jets.

"We probably shellshocked them with the intensity we started the game with," he said.

"They probably weren't ready for what we were going to come out with and if we are going to be one of those teams that plays in the top four, then we've got to be coming out and doing that and win games."

Bay Hawks 118 (Jamil Terrell 23, Everard Bartlett 21), Manawatu Jets 76 (Matt Te Huna 16, Ronald Allen 12, Richard Jeter, Calum MacLeod 10), 1Q: 40-8, HT: 62-37, 3Q: 88-53.

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