LACEY LOWDOWN

Tall Black Dan Fotu, now in his senior year at St Mary’s College, California came up with a career high 19 points (5/10FG, 8/9FT) as the Gaels beat Texas Southern 67-58.

The #42 also contributed 9 rebounds, with 4 of those at the offensive end.

22 points, for the second time in two games, from Charlisse Leger-Walker and 13 from Krystal L-W powered Washington State University Cougars to a 62-54 win against Northern Arizona. Charlisse extended her double-digit scoring streak to 11 games dating back to last season.

The Tall Ferns both filled the stats line with Charlisse adding 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals while Krystal finished with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

The Cougars next play in Moscow in nine days time – that’s Moscow in Idaho not Russia!

Other Kiwi Women in action:

Florida International University 72 (Grace Hunter, 2 points and 1 rebound) Florida Memorial 69

Wofford College 57 (Helen Matthews 2 points and 2 assists) #5 North Carolina State 90

Another Tall Black Taine Murray scored his first collegiate points as University of Virginia beat Radford 73-52. The freshman wing scored with his only shot – a corner three, and added a steal and a rebound.

James Moors only played 9 minutes in Colorado State’s 91-71 victory over University Arkansas Pine-Bluff but it was a pretty efficient outing. The former Westlake forward scored with all four shots he put up to tally 8 points a couple of rebounds and a pair of blocks.

There are two career highs to report from NCAA Division II action.

 Will Heather scored a career best 21 points (9/14FG, 3/4 3PG) as #14 ranked Dallas Baptist University beat #4 Colorado Mesa 63-56 to open their 2021-22 campaign.

“He has the ability to be an All-American,” said Dallas Baptist Head Coach Blake Flickner when questioned on Heather’s performance after the game.

Chanel Brodeur-Muir snared a career high 10 rebounds to add to 6 points despite St Thomas Aquinas going down 54-48 to American International.

Over half of the 44 Kiwis playing NCAA Division I basketball have been in action in the last couple of days as the season proper got underway on Tuesday (Wednesday in NZ). Here’s an update on how they fared.

Tegan Graham, in her second season at Brigham Young University after transferring as a graduate from Colgate University , scored a BYU best 18 points to help propel the Cougars to an 81-58 win over Lipscombe. Graham shot 6 from 11 overall, 4 from 7 threes and also dished 6 assists. Kaylee Smiler was also prominent with 6 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists while Arielle Mackey-Williams added 2 points.

Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 22 points (8/13FG) as Washington State swept aside San Jose State 86-56. Named to the John Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy watch lists she also tallied 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. Krystal Leger-Walker also filled most the stat categories with 7 points, 3 rebounds 8 assists and 3 steals.

Freshman Olivia Williams enjoyed a fine debut as California Irvine romped home 114-53 against Westcliff. Straight into the starting line-up Williams scored the first points of the season for the Anteaters finishing with 13 points on 5 from 6 shooting making 2 out of three from beyond the arc.

Tara Manumaleuga made a 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals contribution as Texas Christian swamped Houston Baptist 78-48. For Houston Lauryn Mapusua had 5 points and 3 rebounds.

St Mary’s Gaels won at Nevada 66-61 but live stats malfunctioned and I’m not sure the end result was 100% accurate. Amy West was credited with 2 points and 8 rebounds, with Tayla Dalton finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists while Jade Kirisome scored 2 points..

Other Kiwi Women in action:

University of Virginia Cavaliers 69 (Mckenna Dale 2rebs and 1 assist) James Madison 84

Fordham University Rams 79 (Kendell Heremaia 5pts, 6rebs, 4 assists) Quinnipiac 71 AOT

Grace Hunter Florida International 67 (Grace Hunter 3pts, 1reb) George Mason 69

University of Texas 131 (Kobe King-Hawea 7pts, 4rebs, 3 assists) New Orleans 36

Wofford College 48 (Helen Matthews 7pts, 2rebs, 1 block) Charleston 80

Colorado State 77 (Jess Moors 2pts, 3rebs, 2 assists) Colorado Christian 42

In Men’s Division I action the highlight was a first NCAA double-double for Sam Mennenga. The former Harbour forward scored 13 points (5/9FG) and snared 10 rebounds as Davidson College beat Delaware 93-71. Mennenga also dished 5 assists in a fine all-round game.

Callum McRae also had 13 points for California Riverside Highlanders in their 66-53 loss to San Diego State. The former Palmy North centre, who missed all of last season due to injury, also pulled down 4 boards on his return to action. Flynn Cameron (4 points) had a cold shooting night but did come up with 4 rebounds and a steal.

Sam Waardenburg, like Callum McRae missed the whole of last season due to injury, began 2021-22 with a career high tying 3 blocks to accompany 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Quite a return from the former Rangitoto College forward as  Miami beat Canisius 77-67.

Dan Fotu made 2 out of 2 three-point shots on his way to 14 points and 4 rebounds as St Mary’s California beat Prairie View A&M 87-68.

Other Kiwi Men in action:

Abilene Christian 56 (Tobias Cameron 2 points, 1 assist) Utah 70

Colorado State 109 (James Moors 4pts, 2rebs, 2 blocks) Oral Roberts 80

Hartford Hawks 59 (Tom Webley 1 point) Wagner 77

NAIA Division 1

The Waikato duo of Maxim Stephens and Kael Robinson joint top scored with 15 points apiece as Rocky Mountain climbed all over Yellowstone Christian winning 99-65. Stephens added 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks while freshman Robinson made his highest collegiate score in just his fifth outing for Rocky.

Johnson 84 Milligan 68 (Finn McClure 10pts, 2 assists).

St Francis Illinois 58 (Reihana Maxwell-Topia 1 point, 8rebs) Calumet St Joseph 59

November 5

Sam Mennenga kicked off the 2021-22 season with a nice double-double of 14 points (6/7FG) and 10 rebounds (5 at the offensive end) as Davidson College Wildcats clawed Ferrum 98-56 in a pre-season encounter. 

Kruz Perrott-Hunt, a 2019 Junior Tall Black World Cup teammate of Mennenga, has also started the season with a flourish. KP-H scored with his first 3-point shot of the season before going on to post 12 points, 6 assists and 3 steals as South Dakota eased past Simpson College 98-47.

Another former Rosmini College guard Marvin Williams-Dunn scored with his only shot in the game – a three – as Ouachita beat Philander-Smith 76-64.

Jessica Moors had her first taste of collegiate basketball as Colorado State University crunched Chadron State 78-43. The 2020 Harbour Breeze guard scored 4 points (making all 4 of her free-throw attempts) and also snared 4 rebounds in 17 minutes on court.

Victoria Ikenasio also scored her first points on debut as Saint Peter’s University Peacocks strutted past New Jersey City 77-60. The 2021 Tall Ferns Camp attendee scored 2 points for the Peacocks.

Kobe King-Hawea began her Division I college career with 7 points as University of Texas at Austin beat Oklahoma Baptist 77-44. Kobe’s brother is former Tall Black Dyson King-Hawea.

In contrast to the debutants Kendell Heremaia is now a 5^th year senior at Fordham University. The Rams co-captain dished 3 assists and made one of three 3-pointers as Fordham made light work of Post University winning 84-44 in the Bronx.

Tsubasa Nisbett is also an experienced campaigner. The Georgia Southern co-captain compiled 10 points (5/7FG) and 6 rebounds as the Eagles soared over Allen University winning 111-56.

The trio of Kiwis at Brigham Young University all got on the scoresheet as the Cougars clawed Westminster 73-52.

Tegan Graham scored 7 points, Kaylee Smiler 3 points and Arielle Mackey-Williams 4 points (2/4FG) on debut.

It’s not often you make your college debut against international opposition but that’s what Hannah Wentworth did for Eckerd College.

Recovering from injury, the sophomore transfer from Utah State Eastern, was restricted to just 10 minutes of action as Eckerd took on the Chilean national team. 

Te Araroa Sopoaga, Samantha Jenkins and Safena Te Nana-Williams have begun their Junior College careers in impressive fashion this week.

Heck of a debut from Safena Te Nana-Williams for Central Maine College Mustangs. The former St Mary’s College, Ponsonby guard amassed 20 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals in just 17 minutes!!

Twin sister Leata Te Nana-Williams had 4 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while Taranaki’s Harata Coleman scored 3 points as the Mustangs butted Northern Vermont – Lyndon 102-67.

Coleman, having transferred from Barton Community College, went even better a couple of days later top scoring with 14 points in the 67-42 win against Villa Martin.

Te Araroa Sopoaga was another to fill the stats line on debut as Cloud County Community College fell agonisingly short in their opening fixture going down 80-79 at Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa.

Wellingtonian guard Sopoaga, who played for Otago Gold Rush last year whilst at Otago University, top scored for Cloud with 20 points and also plundered 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks in an outstanding performance.

Samantha Jenkins made three 3-pointers and totalled 15 points on debut for Dawson Community College as they climbed over Rocky Mountain College 89-46 in their season opener.

Jenkins played at Nayland College, Nelson before moving to Wellington where she suited up for Queen Margaret College.

Some bits and pieces in no particular order from the last 7 days.

Nice to see Sam Waardenburg back in action for Miami University Hurricanes after missing all of last season due to injury. 4p/4r/5a/3b/1st for the former Rangitoto College standout as Miami beat Nova Southeastern 106-95 in a pre-season hit out.

Freshman Taine Murray scored 7 points in his first outing for the University of Virginia, albeit in an internal scrimmage.

In the women’s scrimmage McKenna Dale also had her first run for Virginia since her transfer from Brown University.

No fewer than 5 Kiwis were on show as St Mary’s College California held its men’s and women’s scrimmage. Dan Fotu, Quinn Clinton, Tayla Dalton, Amy West and Jade Kirisome will all have enjoyed the run before the season proper gets underway in early November.

Tsubasa Nisbett (Georgia Southern University) and Tera Reed (University of Southern California) have been named co-captains of their respective teams.

Congratulations also to Molly Cockburn, a sophomore at Miles Community College,elected President of the Student Senate for 2021-22 academic year.

Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones was named PacWest Conference Newcomer of the Year in 2020-21 after leading Hilo’s scoring (16.5 points per game). He has been named to the preseason All-PacWest team.

Some teams are already underway in NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Division I:

9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for Finn McClure on the Milligan University season opener for the Wellington guard.In the same game, a 102-83 loss to Cumberlands, Piripi Korent, the former St Pat’s College Silverstream guard scored 5 points on debut.

Maxim Stephens posted 15 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in just 15 minutes as Rocky Mountain Battlin Bears overcame Yellowstone Christian 108-79. Kael Robinson had 6 points and a couple of boards on his Bears debut.

For Rocky Mountain women Dominique Stephens had a nice double of 7 points and 9 boards in a 59-50 loss to Montana State Billings. She followed that with 8pts/5rebs/3blks/2stls in the 83-60 win against Viterbo Hawks.

The Canadian university season is also underway and Cantabrian senior Hayden Collier tallied 3 points and 11 rebounds in the season opener for Regina University Cougars.

In NZ New Tall Fern Lauryn Hippolite was named Sportsperson of the Year at last night’s Blues and Golds Awards, which celebrated student achievement in sport, and service to the community. Hippolite will link up with Melbourne Boomers as a Development player in early January.