Game Preview – Canterbury Rams v Wellington Saints 30/03/25

To some it’s just another Sunday afternoon, but to the real basketball junkies out there, it’s a must-watch clash of the titans.

Today in Christchurch two of the most storied franchises in league history go head-to-head in front of a roaring Cowles Stadium crowd.

Game Info

Sunday, March 30th, 2024. 

Rapid League: 2:00 PM. Sal’s NBL: 3:00pm.

Cowles Stadium, Christchurch.

Watch live on Sky Sport 5 (NZ), ESPN3 (USA), FIBA YouTube (Globally)

Buy tickets here!

So, What Are We Dealing With?

Many Sal’s NBL experts picked Welly & Canterbury as their season frontrunners, so you can bet your tail that this will be a game worth tuning in to.

While the Saints will be without Kiwi superstar Shea Ili today, they still have enough weapons to be a serious threat. Afterall, they’ve been posting a league-best 108.7 points per game in his absence. Wellington recruited well during their offseason, assembling a squad brimming with positional size, defensive tenacity, and bona fide scorers. It will be very interesting to see how that holds up against Canterbury who have been holding opponents to just 82.3 ppg in 2025.

Hyrum Harris (16.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg) and Izy Le’afa (14.7 ppg, 7.0 apg) are known quantities to the Rams, but their best player available today might just be their recruit from across the ditch. Aussie Nick Marshall is fresh off an uber-efficient 35 point outing versus Southland, raising his scoring average to 24.0 points per game on 59.1% from the field.

With Walter Brown unfortunately sidelined for today’s game, the Rams yet again will adopt a “next man up” mentality. Thankfully, our deep roster has been more than willing to step up to the challenge, notably with the Isaac brothers each averaging career-highs across the board.

The Hot Topic: Guys, Gals, and Pals… We Officially Have an Import!

Like most Sal’s NBL teams, the Rams and Saints have been a tad short-handed to begin the season. Now with the Australian NBL Finals done and dusted – congratulations Lachie Olbrich on being a champ yet again – an injection of elite talent is about to hit the league. For the Rams, that means we’ll get our first look at Kyle Bowen!

For those unfamiliar, Bowen is a 6’8” forward with a couple years of Australian NBL experience under his belt. He brings defensive savvy and endless energy to the table while also being a refined decision maker on the offensive end. Look for him to make a staunch Rams defence even tougher to score on.

Choosing which of Smith-Milner, Darling, or Bowen gets the starting nod is going to be a challenge for Coach Q. Although, that is a great problem to have (and gets even tougher when CJ Penha arrives next week).

Injury Report (as of 16/03/25)

Canterbury Rams
OUT – Sean Macdonald (injury)
OUT – CJ Penha (personal)
OUT – Walter Brown (ankle)
OUT – Marco Sula (not selected)

Wellington Saints
OUT – Shea Ili (overseas)
OUT – Troy Plumtree (overseas)

Rock On Down To Cowles Today!

It’s Ram vs Saints so you know it’s about to get rowdy at Cowles Stadium today. Grab your friends and your favourite red shirt and make your way down to support the Rams today.

Buy Tickets Here.