Monthly Archives: February 2024

Emme Shearer joins the 1,000 points club

Emme Shearer has become the 18th Kiwi to score 1,000 points in Women’s NCAA Division I basketball.

With 3:09 left in the Portland Pilots West Coast Conference game at Santa Clara, Shearer converted a baseline in-bounds play to bring up the major milestone in her 115th appearance for the Pilots.

The former Westlake Girls High School and North Harbour wing is averaging a team high 12 points per game in her senior year. In addition, with three steals, she snared her 200th career steal in the contest – she leads the West Coast Conference in that statistical category.

Below are New Zealand’s All-Time Top-24 points scorers in Women’s NCAA Division I basketball and includes some of our finest Tall Ferns players, both past and present.

        1,743  *Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State 2020-present)
        1,647Erin Rooney (Monmouth University, 2009-11/Fordham University, 2012-14)
        1,624#Akiene-Tera Reed (Virginia Commonwealth 2017-21, USC 2021-22)
        1,497Megan Compain (St Joseph’s University, 1993-97)
        1,439Stella Beck (St Mary’s College, California 2014-18)
        1,291#Kendell Heremaia (Fordham University 2017-22)
        1,262Rhaiah Spooner-Knight (Monmouth 17-18, Utah Valley 13-16)
        1,249#Amiee Book (CSU Fullerton 2018-21, Fresno State 2021-23)
        1,209#Tegan Graham (Colgate University 2016-20, BYU 2020-22)
        1,195Micaela Cocks (University of Oregon, 2006-10)
        1,167Ashleigh Karaitiana (University of Hawaii, 2012-16)
        1,144Margaret Johns (Utah State University, 1979-83)
        1,096Jillian Harmon (Stanford University, 2005-09)
        1,089Tessa Boagni (California State University, Northridge 2014-18)
        1,081Josie Stockill (Colgate University , 2012-16)
        1,032#Krystal Leger-Walker (Washington State 2020-22, Northern Colorado 2016-19)
        1,006Chevannah Paalvast (Monmouth University, 2010-14)
        1,001*Emme Shearer (University of Portland (2020-present)
            944Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe (Hawaii 1998-00, Buffalo University, 2001-03)
            869*Tayla Dalton (St Mary’s College, 2019-present)
            837Brooke Blair (Idaho State University, 2015-18)
            827Moengaroa Subritzky (Maryland Eastern Shore 2014-17)
            804Kalani Purcell (BYU 2015-17)
            800Ashley Taia (Indiana State 2015-18)

Note # indicates played 5 seasons taking advantage of the additional Covid year. * indicates currently at university.

Breakers Centurions

Will McDowell-White is the 17th Breakers player to play 100 games for the club.

He joins an illustrious group:

Tom Abercrombie (426 games)

Mika Vukona (354)

Paul Henare (250)

Alex Pledger (238)

Corey Webster (236)

Dillon Boucher (220)

CJ Bruton (179)

Finn Delany (181)

Kirk Penney (160)

Rob Loe (145)

Cedric Jackson (130)

Aaron Olson (130)

Oscar Forman (125)

Tim Behrendorff (118)

Reuben Te Rangi (103)

Shea Ili (100)

Tom Abercrombie – career year by year.

From schoolboy star to star Breaker and Tall Black below is a condensed look at the achievements of one of New Zealand’s finest basketball players. Diving into his formative years it’s easy to forget how much Abercrombie has achieved and how good a junior athlete he was.

7 major Australasian championships, numerous Breakers all-time records, 100+ Tall Blacks appearances including 3 World Cup trips plus many other accolades and records broken in the past 20 years.

2002 (Year 10) Westlake Boys Runners-up at Secondary Schools Nationals. North Harbour Runners-up at U18 Nationals – named to Tournament team.

2003 (Year 11) Played for New Zealand Secondary Schools Team v Australia. North Harbour Runners-up at U18 Nationals.

Member of Westlake Boys National Championship winning volleyball team.

2004 (Year 12) Played for New Zealand Secondary Schools Team v Australia and NZ U18 team. North Harbour Runners-up at U18 Nationals – named to Tournament team.

2005 (Year 13) Captained Westlake to Secondary Schools National title. Played for Junior Tall Blacks at the Youth Olympics in Sydney.

2006/7 Redshirt Freshman at Washington State University – NCAA Tournament 2nd Round

2007/8 Sophomore at Washington State University – NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen

2008/9 Breakers debut.

2009 Waikato Pistons NBL Champions – Named to All Star 5 and Most Outstanding Forward.Debuted for the Tall Blacks v Estonia.

2010 Waikato Pistons NBL Runners-up – Named to All Star 5 and Most Outstanding Forward. Played for Tall Blacks at FIBA World Cup in Turkey.

2010-11 Breakers ANBL Champions – Grand Final MVP..

2011-12 Breakers ANBL Champions – scored a career high 33 points v Melbourne Tigers. Named to All-NBL First Team.

2012-13 Breakers ANBL Champions.

2014 Played for Tall Blacks at FIBA World Cup in Spain.

2014-15 Breakers ANBL Champions – pulled down a career high 15 rebounds v Sydney Kings.

2015-16 Breakers ANBL Runners-up.

2017-18 Breakers ANBL semi-finalists. Had a career high 7 blocks v Brisbane Bullets.

2018 A member of the Tall Blacks bronze medal winning team at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

2018-19 Moved past Kirk Penney (3,226pts) as Breakers all-time leading scorer.

2019 Wellington Saints NBL Champions – Grand Final MVP. Played his 100th game for the Tall Blacks ahead of the FIBA World Cup in China.

2020-21 Most games played for the Breakers passing Mika Vukona (354 games).

2022-23 Breakers ANBL Runners-up.

2023-24 Played 400th game for the Breakers in the opening game of his final season.

  • In his senior year at Westlake Boys High School (2005) he captained Westlake (35-0) to the NZ Secondary Schools National title. Played for the Junior Tall Blacks at the Youth Olympics in Sydney and at an Invitational Tournament in San Diego. He was also selected for the NZ Volleyball team at the Youth Olympics but had to withdraw due to the clash with basketball. He was a member of Westlake’s Swimming team and was the school’s High Jump, Long Jump and Triple Jump champion.