LACEY LOWDOWN

The draw for the 2017 FIBA Under 19 World Championships will be made in early January.

Following the conclusion this week of the FIBA U18 European Championships the 16 qualifying teams are now known and needless to say a bunch of powerhouse teams await the Kiwis in Egypt.

As anticipated defending champions USA won the Americas tournament beating Canada in the final. Defeated semi-finalists Brazil and Puerto Rico also qualify from that region.

The three African qualifiers are Angola, Egypt and Mali – Angola the winners of the African U18 champs for the fourth time.

Perhaps slightly surprising – Iran were the Asian Champions beating Japan 71-65 in the Asia U18 Championship game. Korea was the third qualifier defeating Lebanon 86-63 in the critical 3^rd/4^th play-off game. China missed out on a return to the World Champs finishing fifth.

We will be seeing more of these nations in age group competition in the future following the merger of the Asia/Oceania regions for FIBA qualifying tournaments.

The European championships, held in Turkey, only finished on Thursday with France beating Lithuania 75-68 in the final. Italy and Germany both qualify having made the semi-finals and the all-important fifth and final spot was clinched by Spain after they downed Bosnia and Herzegovina 77-65.

The strength and depth of the European competition is evidenced by the fact that strong basketball nations Serbia, Greece, Croatia and Turkey all missed out on qualifying for Cairo. All four nations had participated in the 2015 Under 19 World Champs in Crete.

2017 FIBA U19 World Championships Qualifiers.

USA, Canada, Brazil, Puerto Rico

France, Lithuania, Italy, Germany, Spain

Angola,Egypt,Mali

Iran, Japan

New Zealand

The Junior Tall Blacks (JTB’s) pulled off a stunning victory in the final of the FIBA Under 18 Oceania Championships in Fiji on Saturday evening defeating favorites Australia 57-51.

The Junior Tall Blacks become the first New Zealand age group team to qualify for a FIBA World Championships and to do so against our powerful, well funded nearest rivals makes the victory sweeter. The JTB’s will now head to Cairo next for the FIBA Under 19 World Championships

The heroes for the JTB’s in the closing two minutes were Canterbury guard Quinn Clinton and Wellington forward Taane Samuel. With the game on a knife edge Clinton landed two threes in the final 90 seconds as the JTB’s twice came from behind. His second three produced a slender 53-51 advantage. Clinton had been fouled on the shot but missed the resulting freebie only for Samuel to score on a put back.

After Australia missed a couple of scoring opportunities Samuel iced the game with a pair of free throws to set off wild celebrations amongst the New Zealand team and supporters.

Defence dominated the early stages and it was two minutes into the game before Quinn Clinton, later to be named Grand Final MVP, scored the first basket of the encounter.

Callum Mcrae scored the next basket for the Kiwis and the big Kiwi centre was also prominent at the defensive end with three rebounds and a block in the quarter.

A tight first period ended with New Zealand 12-8 ahead.

A Sam Waardenburg put back got the scoreboard moving in the second stanza and a Taki Fahrensohn three took New Zealand to a 17-10 lead forcing a concerned Australian coach to call a timeout.

Hamish McDonald connected with a triple followed by a jump shot as New Zealand moved to a 24-16 lead. An excellent first half defensive effort from the JTB’s finished with them ahead 27-20. Waardenburg led all scorers and rebounders at the interval with 7 points and 6 boards.

A pair of Clinton triples took the JTB’s to a double digit advantage but Australia responded with a 10-0 run. That run was broken by Taane Samuel but a strong Australian third period ended with the JTB’s just three points ahead, 40-37.

Flynn Cameron scored with a left handed drive but another Australia run took Australia into the lead 44-42 with 7 minutes to play.

Waardenburg tied the scores only for Australia to reclaim the advantage and with 4:20 to play the Kiwis trailed 48-40. The Kiwis offence had gone cold but a turn around jumper by Samuel moved the JTB’s within two points, 48-46, with three to play.

After that it became the Clinton and Samuel show.

Basketball New Zealand Chief Executive Iain Potter described the victory as, “A great achievement by the team and the coaching staff and an historic moment for New Zealand basketball. The win once again highlights the enormous amount of talent that we have emerging from our national and local development programmes.”

Final Score; Junior Tall Blacks 57 Australia 51

Scorers – Clinton 14, Samuel 11, Waardenburg 11 + 12 rebounds, McDonald 5, F Cameron 4, McRae 3, Fahrensohn 3, T Cameron 2, Aitcheson 2, Letoa 1, Fotu 1

Charlisse Leger-Walker

The Junior Tall Ferns (JTF’s) were well beaten by Australia in the gold medal game at the FIBA U18 Oceania Championships in Suva on Saturday. Australia led from start to finish to claim the championship with a 107-52 victory.

Australia made a strong start establishing an early 11-5 lead, the Junior Tall Ferns only scores were courtesy of Akiene Reed and Alyssa Hirawani at the free throw line.

The game was seven minutes old before the JTF’s scored their first basket from the field from Charlisse Leger-Walker but Australia were 21-8 to the good at that stage.

Australia made a brace of threes to finish the period and led 28-9 at quarter time.

Leger-Walker scored with a neat drive and Kendall Heremaia landed a long three but the Australian lead had ballooned out to 41-15 at the five minute mark in the second period.

Reed and Jillings made further scores but the JTF’s were in a hole at half time trailing 49-20.

Australian centre Ezi Magbegor, the leading rebounder in the tournament, was dominating in the paint and had 7 points, 6 rebounds and an intimidating 4 blocks at the interval. Leger-Walker was the best of the Kiwis with 6 points and 4 rebounds.

Charlotte Whittaker, Jayden Fuiava and Leger-Walker scored as the JTF’s exchanged baskets in the early stages of the second half but Australia finished the third period with a 13-4 run to lead 78-36 at the final break.

To their credit the JTF’s out scored the Australians in the early minutes of the final period as Jillings, Whittaker and Leger-Walker found the hoop. However it was too little too late as Australia eased to a 107-52 win and a trip to the U19 World Championships in Cairo next year.

Final Score:

Junior Tall Ferns 52 Australia 107

NZ Leading scorers – Leger-Walker 12, Whittaker 8, Jillings 7, Reed 5, Heremaia 5

Congratulations to Christchurch referee Matt Bathurst was one of the three referees officiating the gold medal game.

Fahrensohn with the dunk

The Junior Tall Blacks (JTB’s) followed the Junior Tall Ferns into the final of the FIBA Under 18 Oceania Championships with a convincing win against Guam, 116-54, in Fiji on Friday evening.

The JTB’s utilised their height advantage with Sam Waardenburg (21 points and 5 rebounds in just 14 minutes) and 7 footer Callum McRae, a double double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, leading the way.

JTB’s head coach Daryl Cartwright believed that Guam would be a good challenge as they have structure in place at both ends of the floor.

“They have some very quick guards who can handle the ball well, so that will test our ability to sit down and stay in front of our man on the defensive end.

We do have a significant size advantage and that is where we will look to assert our dominance by getting the ball inside and controlling the rebounds at both ends of the floor,” he added

That size, in the form of Waardenburg, dominated early proceedings scoring 12 points in the opening 5 minutes as the JTB’s forged a 16-0 lead.

Guam was next to score but a couple of transition baskets from Taki Fahrensohn and a triple from Hamish McDonald capped a fine 31-9 opening frame from New Zealand.

Centre McRae (8 points in the second period) emphasised the JTB’s inside dominance with a pair of baskets and when Tobias Cameron converted a breakaway dunk from a Josh Aitcheson steal Guam needed a timeout trailing 43-15.

Active New Zealand defence made scoring opportunities few and far between for Guam. The defence also fuelled open looks in transition, Flynn Cameron landing a triple and a lay-up as the JTB’s led 57-19 at half-time. Waardenburg led all scorers with 17 points at the break.

Despite a Quinn Clinton three Guam had the better of the opening minutes of the second half scoring 13 points in less than three minutes. Taane Samuel settled the JTB’s with a pair of baskets as did a Fahrensohn dunk after a Flynn Cameron steal – 76 to 34 in favour of New Zealand five minutes into the third.

Samson Aruwa scored off a Dan Fotu assist, then twice more after corralling offensive rebounds. Isaac Letoa scored a brace of baskets to end an entertaining third with the JTF’s ahead 93-40.

Coach Cartwright was able to rotate his squad in the fourth quarter ahead of the final 24 hours later.

Final Score; Junior Tall Blacks 116 Guam 54

Scorers – Waardenburg 21, Clinton 15, McRae 12/10r, Aruwa 12, Fahrensohn 10, T Cameron 9/5a, Samuel 8, Aitcheson 8, F Cameron 7, Letoa 6/5a, Fotu 4, McDonald 4

The JTB’s will play Australia, 121-30 victors against New Caledonia in the other semi-final, in the final at 7.00pm on Saturday. The winners of the tournament will earn a place at the FIBA Under 19 World Cup in Cairo next year.

Akiene Reed

The Junior Tall Ferns accounted for Papua New Guinea 121-13 in their final pool game at the FIBA Under 18 Oceania Championships in Fiji on Wednesday afternoon.

Charlotte Whittaker (9 points in the opening quarter) scored the first two baskets of the game but the Junior Tall Ferns did not have it all their own way in the early stages. The JTF’s led 11-7 after 4 minutes but then reeled off 23 points to lead 34-7 at quarter time.

Unselfish play by the JTF’s led to easy scores for McKenna Dale and Jayden Fuiava. A triple from Akiene Reed added to PNG’s woes and with the score mounting PNG needed a timeout at the mid point of the second trailing 55-7.

Consecutive corner threes from Zara Jillings and Reed and inside baskets from Esra McGoldrick extended the JTF’s advantage to 69-7 before PNG finally got on the scoreboard again.

Reed led all scorers with 12 points and Aliyah Dunn and Whittaker had 11 points each as the JTF’s led 71-11 at the interval.

The accomplished Reed, who led the JTF’s scoring, got the scoring underway in the second half, Jillings made another triple and Charlisse Leger-Walker scored in transition before PNG added to their half-time score.

An error-ridden spell followed forcing JTF’s coach Brett Matehaere to call a timeout. Nicole Ruske and Dale landed threes after the resumption but turnovers continued to punctuate the JTF’s performance. Despite some unforced errors the Kiwis led 98-13 at three-quarter time.

Tiarna Clarke brought up triple figures for the Kiwis with a long three and although the JTF’s scoring slowed in the final period another convincing win was gained and a 3-0 record in pool play satisfyingly achieved.

Like the JTB’s the Junior Tall Ferns have a rest day on Thursday before semi-final action on Friday – most likely against Samoa.

Final Score Junior Tall Ferns 121 PNG 13

NZ scorers: Reed 19/7r/4a/3s, Whittaker 17/8r, Dunn 13/4b, Fuiava 13/6r, Ruske 11, Dale 11, Leger-Walker 8/5a/3s, Jillings 8/4a, McGoldrick 8, Hirawani 7/4a/3s, Clarke 4, Heremaia 2/8r/3s

Hamish McDonald

The Junior Tall Blacks (JTBs) followed up an opening win against Samoa at the FIBA Under 18 Oceania Championships with a second big win defeating New Caledonia 137-22 in their second outing early on Friday.

The game tipped off at 8.00am in Suva and the New Caledonians were caught napping. Flynn Cameron opened the scoring for the JTB’s, a couple of Dan Fotu (he had 7 first quarter points) baskets followed, and with the Kiwis ahead 8-0 after three minutes New Caledonia needed a timeout and a wake up call.

Coach Daryl Cartwright had the luxury of bringing Sam Waardenburg and captain Quinn Clinton off the bench and both found the hoop as the JTB’s forged a commanding lead. Tobias Cameron landed the JTB’s only three of the period but with a quarter time lead of 35-0 it was of little consequence.

A spinning drive from Tobias Cameron opened the second quarter scoring as the JTF’s continued to dominate the plucky New Caledonians. Back to back threes from Hamish McDonald and Flynn Cameron took the JTB’s score past fifty, a one sided opening half ending with the Kiwis 67-2 ahead. Waardenburg (17 points) and McDonald (11 points) led the first half scoring effort.

New Caledonia emerged from the break with fresh energy and scored a couple of neat baskets but the response was immediate from the JTB’s as Waardenburg, Callum McRae and Josh Aitcheson rattled in points. The third ended with a McDonald basket and the JTB’s 106-12 to the good.

The impressive Flynn Cameron (9pts, 5rebs, 2a, 6st, 1bl) began the final stanza with a block and an assist for a Taane Samuel score but coach Cartwright was unhappy with some sloppy play and called a timeout two minutes into the period. The JTB’s continued to pile on the points and head for semi-final action in good heart after logging their second win with a margin in excess of 100 points.

Waardenburg (29pts/10rebs), Clinton (22pts) and Fotu (17pts/8rebs) led the scoring but it was very much a team effort with a combined 27 assists logged.

Point guards Flynn Cameron and Isaac Letoa combined for 12 steals as the team amassed 33 in the game. 15 turnovers may be a few too many and just 6 threes from 25 attempts at 24% may need some improvement but the JTB’s will enjoy a rest day on Thursday before semi-final action on Friday.

The winners of the tournament will earn a place at the FIBA Under 19 World Cup in Cairo next year.

Final score: New Zealand 137 New Caledonia 22

Scorers for NZ – Waardenburg 29, Clinton 22, Fotu 17, T Cameron 14, McDonald 13, Aitcheson 11, Samuel 9, F Cameron 9, Letoa 5, McRae 4, Farensohn 4, Aruwa DNP

The Junior Tall Blacks (JTB) team has been named for the FIBA Oceania Championships in Fiji, which could be one of the strongest junior basketball teams yet.

Head Coach Daryl Cartwright says every one of the 12 players have the confidence to lead and step up to a more intense level of competition.

“In their respective teams or schools, they are the leaders, they are the ones to make the big plays or carry their teams just about every time they step on the floor. That brings a confidence that we need them to carry to the Oceania Championships. I feel we have genuine depth in the squad and every player has the ability to be a starter for us.”

The team already has a number of players that are well known to the basketball community for more than their on-court ability.

The basketball pedigree of two new faces is particularly notable – Flynn and Tobias Cameron, the sons of Tall Black legend and Tall Black Assistant Coach Pero Cameron. Both live in the Gold Coast and although they are eligible to compete for Australia, they have put their hands up for New Zealand.

Dan Fotu is another familiar name, being the younger brother of Tall Black and Zaragoza player Isaac Fotu. Dan Fotu was also selected for the Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp, alongside JTB team mates Sam Waardenburg, Taane Samuel and Quinn Clinton. Clinton went on to be named MVP of the camp’s All Star Game, while Waardenburg was named MVP of the entire camp.

Sam Waardenburg has already hit the headlines multiple times through playing in the FIBA 3×3 U18 World Champs, being picked for the prestigious NIKE All Asia Camp, attending the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp, attending the Adidas Nations Tournament and for signing to Miami University on a full Division 1 Scholarship. JTB teammate Takiula Fahrensohn has also signed to Division 1 with the University of Portland.

Another stand out player is seven foot tall Callum McRae, the team’s big man who will play a key defensive role. Notably he led the Palmerston North Boys team to a near upset at the Secondary Schools Nationals in October, had it not been for the Rangitoto buzzer beater in the final second.

From March 2015, the JTB wider squad have been targeting the 2016 FIBA Oceania Championships as a pinnacle event. The winner of the tournament will qualify for the FIBA Under 19 World Cup in Cairo next year. Coach Cartwright says the difficult final selection is the result of standout performances from each of these players, while a number of those who didn’t make the final cut could also step up if there are injuries.

“We have had a very dedicated and committed group over the course of the lead up campaign, and there is real depth in every position. The squad have risen to the challenges we have asked of them this year and competed hard for the opportunity to represent New Zealand. It is always a position you would prefer to be in as coaching staff, to debate player’ attributes and who we think fits with the style we want to play, as well as the expectations that come with being part of this New Zealand team.”

With less than a month until the Oceania Championships tip off, Cartwright says what the team needs now is time to develop as a group, which will be the focus while the team are in camp this week.

“It takes time to develop playing as a group. Developing that understanding of how to get the best out of your teammates, where they like to score and other factors. We have not had the luxury of international competition as part of our build up, but that cannot be an excuse, we must demand the very best of each other so we can prepare for the challenge of potentially facing a very good Australian team.”

Australia are the top seeds for the event. A number of the current JTBs played this Australian team in 2015 at the FIBA Under 16 Oceania Championships, only losing within the final moments of final, despite having beaten the team in pool play. New Zealand is yet to win an Oceania age-group championships, mainly due to the dominance of a well-funded Australian basketball system.

“We are looking at how we can use what our strengths are to face them,” says Cartwright. “As a playing group we will need to play together as a team. If you look at what truly makes the Tall Blacks a special team, it is how they draw together as a playing group and are prepared to fight and scrap for every possession. Are you prepared to work for your teammate beside you for every second of the clock? It is about the mana of the singlet. That’s what allows them to push the giants on the world stage. We have to be prepared to do that all the way to the final game.

“My drive is to get our athletes to a World Championship. To be able to represent New Zealand in a tournament where they have the opportunity to compete against the best in the world is a big deal for these players.”

The JTBs is a development team where its alumni often go on to higher honours. Cartwright says this team is a fine example of the state of New Zealand basketball and the increasing rise of New Zealand basketball on the world stage.

“We are seeing a growth period in the game in New Zealand at present and, with the success of Steven Adams in the NBA, we are going to see that continue. There are also many administrators and coaches all around the country who put in a lot of hours to develop the game because they have a passion for the sport. As the people in key roles and those they work alongside continue to develop and improve, so will the talent of our junior players. The number of kiwi athletes in the American college system at the moment is at an all-time high and quality Division 1 and 2 schools are looking at our emerging talent. As these players go through the system, we may well see more Kiwis flying the New Zealand flag in the NBA or WNBA. The end result is greater depth at the Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns level.”

Junior Tall Blacks – Final 12 (Name | Age | Position | Height | Association):

Joshua Aitcheson |18 | Forward | 194cm | Basketball Otago
Flynn Cameron | 16 | Guard | 190cm | Gold Coast Basketball, Australia
Tobias Cameron | 17 | Guard | 193cm | Gold Coast Basketball, Australia
Quinn Clinton | 17 | Guard | 190cm | Canterbury Basketball Association
Takiula Fahrensohn | 17 | Guard | 198cm | Waitakere West Auckland Basketball Inc.
Daniel Fotu | 17 | Forward | 205cm | North Harbour Basketball
Isaac Letoa | 18 | Guard | 183cm | North Harbour Basketball
Hamish McDonald | 17 | Guard | 185cm | Waikato Basketball Council
Callum McRae | 17 | Centre | 212cm | Palmerston North Basketball Association
Samson Aruwa | 17 | Forward | 192cm | Basketball Auckland
Taane Samuel | 17 | Forward | 198cm | Wellington Basketball Association
Samuel Waardenburg | 17 | Forward | 208cm | North Harbour Basketball

Head Coach: Daryl Cartwright
Assistant Coaches: Gavin Briggs, Leyton Haddleton
Manager: Charles Maaka
Physio: Dawn ChambersTall

A successful HoopNation Tournament in Tauranga finished with the Junior Tall Ferns claiming the Elite Women’s title and the Junior Tall Blacks finishing runners-up in the Elite Men’s competition.

The JTF’s under the guidance of head coach Brent Matehaere looked a well oiled machine, particularly when Charlisse Leger-Walker was on the court. Her presence on the floor invariably took the team to a higher gear. Leger-Walker’s Waikato teammate Kendell Heremaia is also a dynamic performer with a motor that never stops purring.

There are plenty of other components to this outfit and some useful parts will have to be left on the side of the road when the final selections are made.

Daryl Cartwright and his JTB’s selection committee will face the same issue.

Talented players will not be on the road to Fiji, or more precisely the flight, come December.

At HoopNation the team struggled to get into automatic due to a combination of factors but primarily a lack of game time together was the major contributor to some stop start performances.

Having said that there is quality galore for the coaching staff to piece together.

Who wouldn’t want to try and mesh the likes of Clinton, Fahrensohn, Fotu, Letoa, McDonald, McRae, Samuel and Waardenburg. The 2016 vintage could be quite something.

In the final the JTB’s faced a Choppers team that boasted four current or former Tall Blacks – Lindsay Tait, Leon Henry, Ethan Rusbatch and BJ Anthony in their lineup. Tait opened the scoring as the Choppers embarked on an 11-0 run eventually broken by a Hamish McDonald jump shot. Taane Samuel added another basket but the JTB’s trailed 16-4 at quarter time.

A Sam Waardenburg three and two’s from Isaac Letoa, Angus McWilliam and Samuel in the second period kept the score ticking over for the JTB’s but they had a mountain to climb at half-time trailing 28-14.

The JTB’s cause was further hampered by an 8-0 Choppers run to open the third. Despite a three from Josh Aitcheson, inside buckets from Dan Fotu and Callum McRae and a brace of baskets from Letoa the third quarter ended with Choppers 43-27 ahead.

Even with a couple of Taki Fahrensohn jumpers Choppers were almost 20 points to the good early in the final quarter. However the crowd was brought to life by threes on three consecutive possessions from Cantabrian Quinn Clinton. With Samuel also scoring three baskets the JTB’s closed to within 9 points, 58-49, inside the final three minutes. Waardenburg closed the gap further but the experienced Choppers team was able to make their free throws down the stretch to claim the trophy with a 66-53 victory.

Cartwright was philosophical after the defeat.

“We got a little bit of a lesson from some veterans. Not performing the basics hurt us, we were too careless with the ball turning it over and our transition defence wasn’t good enough. There were good lessons for us there because if we had taken care of those things we would have been in a position to compete.”

Earlier in the day the JTB’s faced the Fraser High ‘old boys’ F Gang in the semi-final.

After trailing 9-3 early on a couple of Samuel baskets helped propel the JTB’s to a 14-9 quarter time lead.

A tight second period concluded with the JTB’s holding a slender 25-24 lead. Waardenburg scored five points in the quarter and McRae kept his team ahead with a basket in the final minute of the period.

The third period was equally tight as F Gang refused to give ground to the JTF’s. Canterbury forward McWilliam made a couple of neat baskets and Flynn Cameron a late pair of freebies but the lead was just 34-30 to the JTF’s at the last break.

Fotu made an And 1 play to open the final stanza but with the fouls mounting the final minutes became a free throw shoot out. Flynn Cameron and Letoa kept F Gang at bay, as did the outstanding Samuel. Letoa capped a fine defensive exhibition by grabbing a steal and a break away lay-up to seal a tense 53-47 victory in the final twenty seconds of the game.

Overall coach Cartwright was pleased with his team’s effort.

“We needed games and it was also good to be in a camp environment to see how guys were on and off the floor. It has given us the opportunity to assess different combinations and we are still trying to settle on our final twelve so we have been evaluating some of the players to fill the final spots.”

Junior Tall Blacks Results:

Day 3

Final, Lost 66-53 v Choppers – Samuel 10, Clinton 10, Waardenburg 9, Letoa 6, Fahrensohn 5

Semi-Final, Won 53-47 v F Gang – Samuel 10, Letoa 7, Fotu 6, Waardenburg 6, McWilliam 6

Day 2

Won 43-39 v Junior Mountainairs – Fotu 12, Samuel 11, Letoa 6, Waardenburg 6

Won 57-48 v Rack City – Fahensohn 12, Letoa 10, Le’aupepe 8, McWilliam 6, F Cameron 6

Day 1

Won 56-36 v Victoria Uni – Waardenburg 17, McDonald 8, F Cameron 7, Clinton 6

Won 62-53 v Harbour Heat – Clinton 13, Fotu 12, Waardenburg 12, Fahrensohn 6

Won 84-28 v ‘IATE – McDonald 12, Le’aupepe 10, Aitcheson 9, Fahrensohn 8

The Junior Tall Ferns, boasting an unbeaten record, faced Waitakere Lady Rangers in the Elite Women’s Grand Final.

Tall Ferns Megan Craig and Josie Stockill anchored the Rangers frontcourt and their battle with JTF’s forwards Charlotte Whittaker, Esra McGoldrick and Kendell Heremaia was intriguing to observe.

Stockill showed her intentions early on with a defensive block and 4 points as the Rangers opened a 6 points advantage before Tiarna Clarke opened the Junior Tall Ferns account with a drive for two and a jumper for three. A pair of Charlisse Leger-Walker free throws edged the JTF’s ahead 7-6 at quarter time.

Esra McGoldrick scored four points in the second period and Leger-Walker three as the JTF’s retained a single point advantage, 14-13, at half-time.

The third quarter was largely one way traffic as Zara Jillings and Charlotte Whittaker made baskets before Jayden Fuiava closed the period with a three and a lay-up to open up a 29-17 three-quarter time lead.

Six combined points from Stockill and Craig briefly threatened the JTF’s lead but a pair of jump shots from Kendell Heremaia and a basket in the paint from Whittaker restored a double figure advantage, 36-26, with two minutes to play. Stockill took her personal haul to 14 points but Jillings had the final say with a corner three to take the JTF’s to a deserved 39-30 victory.

Junior Tall Ferns Results:

Day 3

Grand Final, Won 39-30 v Lady Rangers – Leger-Walker 8, Clarke 6, Whittaker 6, Jillings 6, Fuiava 5

Day 2

Won 66-19 v ‘IATE – Leger-Walker 11, Fuiava 11, Clarke 9, Jillings 6, Whittaker 6, Dunn 6

Won 39-31 v Muppets – Clarke 9, Fuiava 9, Leger-Walker 8

Won 44-29 v All Stars – McGoldrick 10, Ruske 6, Whittaker 6

Day 1

Won 41-31 v Phoenix – McGoldrick 8, Heremaia 7, Fuiava 4, Whittaker 4

Won 60-31 v Expired – Heremaia 17, McGoldrick 8, Clarke 7, Fuiava 7, How 6, Dunn 6

Won 54-34 v Lady Rangers – Walker-Pitman 7, Whittaker 6, McGoldrick 6

Matehaere was delighted with the efforts of his charges during the tournament.

“The weekend has been good for us, we’ve had an opportunity to try a few things out. We’ve had a chance to look at different groups, try different combinations and give us more of an understanding of how they interact together.

“The good thing from the coaches perspective is that all the players have shown their skill sets during the tournament which makes the selection process even more difficult. Their strengths continue to be the same but you can see the work they have done on other aspects of their game have also improved they keep on getting better and better.

“All the teams at HoopNation have come out and thrown it at us and that has been good. That has helped prepare us for the big challenge that we have ahead of us,” Matehaere added.

For both squads this was the last competitive hit out before the teams are announced ahead of the FIBA Oceania Championships in Fiji.

The Championships, to be played in December, will double as the qualifying tournament for the 2017 FIBA Under 19 World Championships.

Junior Tall Ferns Squad

Tiarna Clarke (North Harbour), Aliyah Dunn (Southland), Jayden Fuiava (Queensland, Australia), Kendell Heremaia (Waikato), Alyssa Hirawani (Waikato), Joellen How (Taranaki), Zara Jillings (North Harbour), Charlisse Leger-Walker (Waikato), Esra McGoldrick (Canterbury), Bayley Ransfield (Taranaki), Nicole Ruske (Otago), Stirling Walker-Pitman (Waikato), Charlotte Whittaker (North Canterbury).

Junior Tall Blacks Squad

Josh Aitcheson (Otago), Flynn Cameron (Australia), Tobias Cameron (Australia), Quinn Clinton (Canterbury), Taki Fahrensohn (Waitakere West), Dan Fotu (North Harbour), Corey Le’aupepe (Wellington), Isaac Letoa (North Harbour), Hamish McDonald (Waikato), Callum McRae (Palmerston North), Angus McWilliam (Canterbury), Taane Samuel (Wellington), Sam Waardenburg (North Harbour)

The Junior Tall Blacks and Junior Tall Ferns squads have been announced ahead of the Hoop Nation Tournament being held in Tauranga this Labour Weekend.

The largest club tournament in the country will provide the JTF’s and JTB’s with stiff opposition as both teams will be playing adult club and invitational sides, some with a sprinkling of senior internationals.

For both squads this will be the last competitive hit out before the teams are announced ahead of December’s FIBA Oceania Championships in Fiji, which will double as the qualifying tournament for the 2017 FIBA Under 19 World Championships.

The Junior Tall Ferns squad is very similar to the one that faced the China Under 19 team in two international games last month, although the American based pair of McKenna Dale and Akiene Reed will not be required to return home for this event. That said, Otago guard Nicole Ruske returns to the squad, as does Queensland based Jayden Fuiava. JTF’s head coach Brent Matehaere is pleased to have both players in the squad.

“Jayden averaged 18 points per game at the Australian Under 18 National Championships and is intending to play in the Australian WNBL after completing her final school year at John Paul College in Brisbane. She is an exciting prospect who we were put in touch with by Pero Cameron, who identified her talent. She has been invited to Australian national camps, but has decided she wants to play for New Zealand.

“Nicole is still struggling with injury a little, but she is going to push through as we are making final selections following this tournament,” added Matehaere.

The focus for Matehaere is individual and team performances, rather than the results in this tournament.

“We will be looking to perform what we need to do to the best of our abilities, as this weekend we have a big onus on selection. We will be looking to make sure that we have the right mix of players.”

The Junior Tall Blacks team will also be named later this year, not long after the Hoop Nation event and Cartwright is delighted with the depth of talent he has available at his disposal.

“It is a nice headache to have. You would rather be in the position where you are struggling to separate guys than trying to find players to fill a spot.

“It is pretty tough to leave out guys who have been in the squad for 16 months, but we have to make a decision on the best talent we have available to give ourselves a shot at beating Australia. That is what we are about and we need to be confident we have the best group we can put forward,” Cartwright added.

“I just want to see these guys get a shot at playing at a World Championship. We are trying to make history and beat Australia to qualify,” added Cartwright.

Players and fellow coaches alike will echo those sentiments.

Junior Tall Ferns Squad for Hoop Nation Tournament
Tiarna Clarke (North Harbour), Aliyah Dunn (Southland), Jayden Fuiava (Queensland, Australia), Kendell Heremaia (Waikato), Alyssa Hirawani (Waikato), Joellen How (Taranaki), Zara Jillings (North Harbour), Charlisse Leger-Walker (Waikato), Esra McGoldrick (Canterbury), Bayley Ransfield (Taranaki), Nicole Ruske (Otago), Stirling Walker-Pitman (Waikato), Charlotte Whittaker (Canterbury).

Junior Tall Blacks Squad for Hoop Nation Tournament
Josh Aitcheson (Otago), Flynn Cameron (Australia), Tobias Cameron (Australia), Quinn Clinton (Canterbury), Taki Fahrensohn (Waitakere West), Dan Fotu (North Harbour), Corey Le’aupepe (Wellington), Isaac Letoa (North Harbour), Hamish McDonald (Waikato), Callum McRae (Palmerston North), Angus McWilliam (Canterbury), Taane Samuel (Wellington), Sam Waardenburg (North Harbour)