LACEY LOWDOWN

Kirk Penney averaging 21pts a game for Illawarra this season

Kirk Penney may have missed the previous four games for the Illawarra Hawks due to a hamstring injury picked up against the Breakers last month but he certainly hasn’t lost his scoring touch. The Tall Blacks marksman scored 28 points as the Hawks secured a play-offs birth with a tense 104-97 overtime win against Townsville Crocodiles on Saturday. Penney missed with his opening range finder but was sublime thereafter caressing 10 from 16 shooting attempts including 5 from 9 triples.

Leon Henry was a little more subdued than his Kiwi counterpart contributing 4pts, 4 rebounds and a block to the spirited Crocs cause.

In other news from the Australian National Basketball League……

The Perth Wildcats versus Sydney Kings game got off to a surprising start in the first two minutes with the Kings opening up an 11-0 advantage.

That forced ‘Cats’ coach Trevor Gleeson to make an extremely unusual move and pull out his entire starting five replacing them with his back up crew that included Tall Blacks point guard Jarrod Kenny.

Perth’s second unit played out the rest of the first quarter and worked the home team back into the contest. They were within a point by quarter-time and continued to pull away the rest of the evening to eventually win 95-81.

Kenny, benefitting from extended court time produced an industrious 7pts/2rebs/3ast/2steals effort.

Fellow Tall Blacks guard Dion Prewster was largely anonymous for the Kings putting up just a single unsuccessful shot although he did manage a block and an assist.

Europe 

In the Eurocup CAI Zaragoza stayed in the fight to make it out of pool play by downing Turkish side Galatasaray Odeabank 85-68 at home in front of over 7,000 fans on Wednesday. Zaragoza, Galatasaray and Sassari (Italy) have a 3-2 record in Group N so it will all come down to next week’s games to decide which two teams progress to the last 16 knockout stage. Isaac Fotu was in fine form for the hosts scoring 14 points at a very efficient 6 from 7 shooting.

Zaragoza scored a major victory over FIATC Joventut in their struggle to move away from the lower reaches of the Spanish League on Sunday. A dominant 31-17 second quarter helped propel Zaragoza to a 94-83 success and improve their record to 6-13. Fotu was in double figures again with 10 points (4/7FG) along with 5 rebounds.

Duane Bailey only managed to convert one of six scoring attempts but he did amass 11 rebounds plus a pair of assists and a block as Plymouth Raiders beat Leeds Force 75-62. The win enabled the Raiders to jump over the Force into a play-off spot in the British Basketball League. Former Breakers player now Plymouth’s player coach Darryl Corletto led all scorers with 21 points.

In Belgium Rob Loe, recovering from knee ligament damage is targeting a return to the court in early March. His Limburg United team are tracking reasonably well in his absence sitting third on the Scooore League ladder with an 8-6 record.

American College 

Nebraska had a chance to tie in the final seconds against Number 4 ranked Maryland but the Huskers fell just short, 70-65 on Wednesday evening in front of a home crowd of 15,693.

Tai Webster made 6 from 7 free throws as he contributed 8 points, 5 rebounds and a game high 3 steals for Nebraska.

The Huskers broke a three game losing streak on Saturday comfortably beating Rutgers 87-63 to improve to 5-6 in Big Ten Conference play. Just 5 points, 2 rebounds and an assist for Webster in that one.

Jack Salt didn’t suit up for Virginia University as the Cavaliers beat Pitt 64-50 on Saturday. The Cavaliers, 8-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, have won six straight and its early

Henry disappointed he couldn’t get win against “brothers”.

Leon Henry would have loved to get another win over on his former team at Vector Arena on Friday night. The Breakers looked to be heading for a comfortable victory to avenge their 23 points drubbing at the hands of the Crocs last week. The hosts led by 11 points in the fourth quarter but in the end had to withstand a typical Townsville fight back to eventually stumble across the line 77-74.

Henry had a relatively quiet night adding a block and a rebound to a couple of points.

In other news from the Australian National Basketball League.

In the battle of the top two sides Melbourne United secured an overtime victory, 91-85, in Perth against the Wildcats on Friday. Jarrod Kenny (2p/3r/4a/2steals) helped spark a Cats revival as they scored ten of the last twelve points in regulation but United weathered the Perth revival to move to the top of the NBL ladder with a 17-8 record.

Sydney Kings went down 81-76 in Cairns in the third Friday night game, the defeat handing the Kings the NBL wooden spoon for just the second time in franchise history. Dion Prewster had 2pts/4rebs/2 assists for Sydney.

There were initial fears Kirk Penney may have suffered a season-ending hamstring injury against the Breakers a couple of weeks ago before scans confirmed a burst blood vessel was behind the extensive bruising and swelling in his leg. Without Penney the Illawarra Hawks managed to split their two game series with the Adelaide 36ers in this round, both teams winning their home encounters.

Europe –Men

On Wednesday in the Eurocup Italian club Dinamo Sassari never trailed before holding on to 75-72 win over CAI Zaragoza to stay in contention for a place in the quarter finals. Sassari and CAI both hold 2-2 records in a share of second place of Group N, but CAI has the tie-breaking advantage with its 12-point win over Sassari last week. The top two teams in each group advance into the last eight. Isaac Fotu went 2 from 5 from the field for 4 points for Zaragoza.

Zaragoza was beaten 91-81 at Andorra on Saturday and appears to be in a Liga Endesa relegation battle in the second half of the season. Fotu started for Zaragoza but scored just 5 points as his team slip to 16^th in the 18-team competition with a 5-13 record.

Plymouth Raiders had a double header against Sheffield Sharks at the weekend and got bitten on both occasions. Duane Bailey scored 2 points and secured 5 rebounds as the Raiders went down 74-68 on Friday night in a British Basketball League encounter. 48 hours later the Raiders were knocked out of the Trophy competition at the quarter final stage thumped 99-73 at home.

American College – Men

Tai Webster has found some good form lately for the Nebraska University Huskers. He is the only player averaging double figures in Big Ten Conference play while not making a start in conference play. Webster is averaging 11 points per game and had 12 points and a career-high five steals last week against Michigan.

On Saturday the Huskers visited Purdue, a college that must have one of the least attractive monikers in NCAA sport, being known as the Boilermakers. Unattractive or not the No. 21 ranked Purdue topped Nebraska, 89-74, the Huskers slipping to 4-5 in conference games. Webster was in the thick of the action again with 17 points (6/10FG, 4/5FT), 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

Jack Salt only played 4 minutes for the Virginia University Cavaliers on Tuesday but he was a member of the excited bench brigade looking on as the Cavs came back from 10 points down with 1:23 remaining to defeat Wake Forrest 72-71. Guard Darius Thompson made a sideline three on the buzzer to give the Cavs the most unlikely of victories.

Virginia improved to 6-3 in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday routing Louisville 63-47. Salt only played in the last minute but did step on court in front 22,000 Louisville supporters. Imagine that!

Jarrod Kenny provided the ‘Play of the Week” in the NBL during Perth Wildcats comprehensive 95-72 victory over the Kirk Penney less (out with a hamstring strain) Illawarra Hawks on Thursday.

With the three quarter time buzzer about to sound Kenny launched an optimistic heave from a pace outside his own free throw line. Moments later the sixty feet effort hit nothing but net to give Kenny his only points of the night, increase the Wildcats advantage to 15 points and help Perth secure a play-off berth for the 30^th straight season.

In other news from the Australian National Basketball League.

On Wednesday Dion Prewster made his second double digit scoring contribution of the season to the Sydney Kings cause as the NBL cellar dwellers went down 96-86 to the 36ers in Adelaide. Prewster had a very efficient 10 points (4/6FG) that included two from two three pointers plus 4 rebounds and 2 blocks.

On Thursday Leon Henry failed to score from four attempts against his former team the Breakers but he did have the satisfaction of helping the Townsville Crocodiles down the defending champions 89-66.

Europe

Following his season best 25 points last week for the Plymouth Raiders Duane Bailey continued his good form with a 14 points (6/12FG), 8 rebounds and 3 assists effort as the Raiders went down 90-80 against Leicester Riders.

The result was no disgrace for Plymouth, nestled in mid table of the British Basketball League with a 6-11 record, against Leicester that are second on the table (12-1)

CAI Zaragoza slipped to an agonising 80-79 home defeat against Fuenlabrada in the Liga Endesa, Spanish League. Isaac Fotu captured a team high 7 rebounds but scored just 2 points, as Zaragoze remain 15^th in the 18-team competition with a 5-12 record.

American College

Nebraska University Huskers picked up its fourth straight win, a 72-71 win over No. 11 Michigan State on Wednesday. The result was described on the Huskers website as one of the biggest wins in recent years. Tai Webster, played a team high 32 minutes for the Huskers, and with 10pts/7rebs/3assists/1steal was a major contributor to the win.

Nebraska’s winning streak came to an end on Saturday when they fell to Michigan 81-68. Webster had 12 points, five rebounds and five steals, the Huskers now 4-4 in Big Ten Conference games.

Jack Salt again started for No 13 ranked Virginia University Cavaliers who recorded an important 69-62 victory against Clemson University on Tuesday. Salt had 2 points and 2 rebounds against Clemson.

He scored a couple more points in the 73-65 win over Syracuse on Sunday as the Cavs improve to 4-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

105 points for Kirk Penney in four games against his former club this season.

Kirk Penney is enjoying his time back in the Australian NBL with the Illawarra Hawks. This week he helped the Hawks sweep the SKYCITY Breakers for the first time since the 2002-3 season.

On Wednesday, the Hawks, already 2-0 up in the series, disposed of the Breakers 87-69 in Wollongong. The return leg on Sunday at Vector Arena was a much closer affair, the Hawks eventually prevailing 101-96 after double overtime. The 35 year old guard retired in the fourth quarter with a hamstring twinge after having scored 14 points to add to the 36pts, 27pts and 28 points scored in the first three encounters.

That’s 105 points against his former club, the club he still holds the all time scoring record for – 2,517 points.

Elsewhere in the Australian National Basketball League James Blond Super City Rangers forward Tohi Smith Milner made his NBL debut for Melbourne United on Friday. In his first season as a development player Smith-Milner played the last five minutes of United’s convincing 98-68 win over Cairns Taipans knocking down one of two three point attempts to finish with 3 points and a block.

Also on Friday Perth Wildcats easily accounted for Sydney Kings winning 96-68.

Jarrod Kenney, 6p/3r/1a, scored with his only two scoring attempts for Perth (both three’s) and Dion Prewster converted one of two scoring attempts for Sydney.

On Saturday Leon Henry, playing his 50^th game for Townsville, scored 7 points and corralled 3 rebounds as Townsville Crocodiles was narrowly defeated 108-103 by the Adelaide 36ers

Europe –Men

The Plymouth Raiders took a break from British Basketball League action and will now meet Sheffield Sharks in the last eight of the BBL Trophy after cruising past Essex Leopards 102-60 in their first round game on Friday night.

Duane Bailey scored a season high 25 points for the Raiders and came within a whisker of a double double as he also claimed 9 rebounds.

CAI Zaragoza are struggling towards the bottom of the Spanish League therefore it was not a surprise they were defeated at top of the table Valencia at the weekend. Valencia is undefeated with 16 straight wins but didn’t have it all their own way eventually winning 81-74. Isaac Fotu had 10pts, 6rebs and a block for Zaragoza, now 5-11 for the season.

American College – Men

On Tuesday Nebraska University Cornhuskers won a second straight game as it demolished Minnesota 84-59, the Huskers able to give 14 players court time.

Guard Tai Webster had 9 points (4/8FG), 5 rebounds and 5 assists coming off the bench.

Nebraska continued its winning ways in posting a 78-67 win over Illinois on Saturday.The Huskers (11-8 for the season, 3-3 Big Ten Conference) had four players in double figures, including Webster – 16 points (6/8FG) plus 6 rebounds.

Next up for Nebraska is powerhouse Michigan State on Wednesday. Michigan is ranked No 4 in the country.

Virginia University Cavaliers snapped a two game losing streak on Tuesday defeating number 8 Miami 66-58. Three rebounds and a block in 8 minutes for centre Jack Salt.

Freshman Salt (4pts/1reb), starting for the second successive game, scored the first basket of the game against Florida State on Sunday but the Cavs went down 69-62. The Cavs now have a 2-3 record in the Atlantic Conference.

Nebraska Uni career high 22 points from Tai Webster

Guards Kirk Penney and Tai Webster put together the stand out performances by our Tall Blacks based abroad this week.

Last Thursday Kirk Penney fuelled the Illawarra Hawks with 20 points (8/18FG) as it went down 97-96 to Melbourne United in the latest round of the Australian NBL.

In one of the most exciting games of the season the Hawks trailed by 10 points at three-quarter time but clawed its way back into the contest to lead in the dying seconds before Chris Goulding made the go ahead free throw for United with just 4.6 seconds left on the clock.

Illawarra got back in the winners circle on Saturday with Penney once again playing a starring role. The shooting guard amassed 29 points as the Hawks bounced the lowly Sydney Kings 114-90. Penney shot an impressive 6 of 9 from beyond the three-point arc to help move the Hawks to third on the NBL ladder with a 12-8 record.

Dion Prewster had a quiet game for Sydney scoring just two points with his only shot of the game.

Earlier, the first game of the round on Wednesday saw Cairns Taipans keep its play off hopes alive with a 71-61 home win over Perth Wildcats. Jarrod Kenny had 2pts/4rebs/1assist for the Cats.

Despite a career-high 22 points from Tai Webster, Nebraska University Huskers fell at No. 19 ranked Iowa, 77-66, on Tuesday night in American College basketball.

Webster hit 7-of-11 shots from the floor in posting his third 20-point of the season.

Nebraska coach Tim Miles on Webster’s performance, “Tai is doing better and better, he came in with a lot of expectations and that was difficult for him physically and emotionally and he has been a lot better for us this year.”

Webster was less efficient on Saturday but Nebraska broke into the win column for the first time in Big Ten Conference play with a 90-56 win against Rutgers. The Huskers are now 1-3 in conference play.

Webster had 6pts/5rebs/2assists but shot just 3 from 10 from the field.

Freshman Jack Salt contributed 2 rebounds and a block during 8 minutes of court time, as No 4 ranked Virginia Cavaliers was defeated at Georgia Tech, 68-64 on Saturday.

The loss was the second in a row for Virginia that slipped to a 1-2 record in Atlantic Coast Conference games.

In Europe CAI Zaragoza lost its 10^th game of the Liga Endesa campaign suffering a tight 71-69 loss to Bilbao (7-8) on Sunday in Spain. The loss ended the two-game winning streak of CAI Zaragoza and leaves it with a 5-10 record. Isaac Fotu scored 6 points and added 3 rebounds in 21 minutes

Zaragoza drops to the fourteenth position on the ladder and next week will play against the league’s leader Valencia Basket that boast a rather daunting 15-0 record.

A freezing polar blast hit the UK at the weekend but the Plymouth Raiders warmed their fans with what coach Corletto described an “ugly win”, 76-72, at home against Leeds Force.

Duane Bailey came off the bench to contribute 8 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal as the Raiders improve to 6-11 and a spot in the top eight of the twelve team competition.

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Remembering Plymouth began the season with six straight losses a move into play off contention is a massive achievement.