LACEY LOWDOWN

Career high 33 points for Harmon in Italy

It is hard to go past the performance of Josie Stockill when assessing the standout performance of our overseas Tall Ferns during the pre Xmas week although Jillian Harmon and Penina Davidson both produced exceptional career high efforts.

Stockill stole the show as she led Colgate to a 72-59 road victory over Lafayette in the Patriot League opener establishing numerous personal and college records in the process.

A week out from her 22^nd birthday Stockill finished with 27 points and 13 blocks, both career-bests. Her first two blocks were particularly special as it gave the senior the programme’s all-time leading blocks title. She now has 182 career blocks to her name.

Her 13 blocks in the game were also significant as it broke Colgate’s record for blocks in a single game, she was just three shy of matching the NCAA’s all-time record for blocks in a game. Her game total was the NCAA Division I high for the season by three blocks.

The Napier Girls High School alumna is enjoying a stand out season for the Raiders averaging a team high 13.0 points and 4.6 blocks per game.

In Italy Harmon fashioned a performance to rival Stockill’s as Le Mura Lucca returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 72-51 victory at home against San Giovanni on Tuesday.  A week after suffering its first loss of the season Harmon powered Lucca to victory scoring a career high 33 points (14/20FG) aligned with 5 rebounds and a massive 8 steals.

Harmon is averaging 17.8 points per game for Lucca that improves to 11-1 and equal top in SerieA.

If Harmon and Stockill produced the individual highlights Penina Davidson was involved in the game of the week.

Playing a non-conference game against Pac-12 foe, No. 21-ranked Cal Berkley Golden Bears came through when it mattered most, outlasting the No. 19-ranked UCLA Bruins to earn a heart-stopping 108-104 win last Monday. The Bears scored 5 points in the final 30 seconds of the second overtime period to secure the win.

Davidson scored a career high-tying 15 points off the bench. The Tall Ferns centre tied the game inside the last 60 seconds of the first overtime period but fouled out on the next play.

“I’ve been here for eight years as an assistant and a head coach and that’s the most exciting game I’ve ever been part of, said Cal’s Lindsay Gottlieb who participated in her first double overtime game as the Bears’ head coach.

The Saint Mary’s team led by as many as 22 and hit 12 three-pointers to give the Gaels a 78-68 win over San Francisco in the West Coast Conference opener for both squads last Monday. Stella Beck put together an impressive stat line of 11p/9r/2a/4 steals.

Two Days later Beck scored 5 points and contributed 6 assists as the Gaels was defeated by Santa Clara 73-67.

The Gaels have a short break before taking on Kalani Purcell’s BYU Provo on New Years Eve.

Talking of BYU it fell to San Diego 78-65, in its first game of West Coast Conference play, on Wednesday despite a fifth double double of the season from Kalani Purcell. The small forward had 14 points and 11 rebounds, also adding 4 assists and 3 blocks.

After an 8-3 start to the season BYU will be disappointed to have dropped its opening conference game but will hope to bounce back when it hosts St Mary’s.

Jacinta Beckley played just 8 minutes as Seattle was defeated 92-70 at UC Riverside last Monday. Beckley scored a couple of points in addition to an assist and a rebound,

All Australian WNBL teams are enjoying a short break over the Xmas period before ‘hostilities’ resume on New Years Eve when third on the ladder Townsville Fire visit top of the table Perth Lynx.

Records galore from Josie Stockill

Worthy of a special story is the performance of Tall Ferns centre Josie Stockill on Tuesday.

Stockill stole the show as she led Colgate Raiders to a 72-59 road victory over Lafayette in the Patriot League opener establishing numerous records in the process.

A week out from her 22^nd birthday Stockill finished with 27 points and 13 blocks, both career-bests. Her first two blocks were particularly special as it gave the senior the programme’s all-time leading blocks title. She now has 182 career blocks to her name.

Her 13 total blocks in the game were also significant as it broke Colgate’s record for blocks in game, she was just three shy of matching the NCAA’s all-time record for blocks in a game.

Her game total was the NCAA Division I high for the season by three blocks.

The Napier Girls High School alumna is enjoying a stand out season for the Raiders averaging a team high 13.0 points and 4.6 blocks per game.

It would have been nice for Stockill to have given such a commanding  performance at Cotterell Court,  Colgate’s home venue, but perhaps with the season only one third complete more stats stuffing shows are just around the corner.

Career high 28pts for Tessa Boagni

A double dose of Tessa Boagni that included career high rebounding and points scoring plus a season high 15 points from Micaela Cocks headline this week’s Tall Ferns action.

Overall it was a quieter week in American college basketball as some teams pause before a busy Conference schedule begins.

One player that didn’t get a break this week was Tessa Boagni. Her Cal State Northridge Matadors team (2-8) defeated Portland 68-62 on Friday for just its second win of the season but went down 83-77 against Portland State two days later.

In the first game the sophomore centre recorded her second career double double finishing with 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds as the Matadors snapped a four-game losing streak.

48 hours later Boagni did even better as she led all scorers with a career high 28 points with 11/20 from the field and a perfect 6/6 from the foul line.

In Australia the South East Queensland Stars, the WNBL’s newest franchise, recorded an impressive 95-75 victory over Townsville Fire in Logan on Friday night.

Having endured a tough first-up loss in the inaugural Queensland derby, SEQ ensured that there would be no repeat as they squared the ledger at home ahead of the third and deciding encounter in North Queensland in the New Year.

Micaela Cocks was one of just three Fire players in double figures on the night scoring 10 points (4/10FG) and also capturing 2 steals.

The Fire had the opportunity to bounce back 48 hours later and did so defeating Dandenong Rangers 70-61 in Townsville. Cocks joint top scored for the Fire with 15 points (5/9FG) and added a brace of rebounds and assists.

In other WNBL action Perth Lynx remained top of the table with a comfortable 88-68 home win against the winless Canberra Capitals on Friday night. Toni Edmondson slotted in 4 points for the Lynx and also secured a pair of rebounds.

All WNBL teams now enjoy a break before Perth entertains Townsville on New Years Eve.

Despite 17 points from Jillian Harmon Le Mura Lucca was defeated for the first time this season going down 73-67 at home to Ragusa on Saturday. Both teams now boast a 10-1 record and jointly lead the Italian SerieA.

Also in Europe Erin Rooney turned in a fine display scoring 18 points for the second week running as COB Calais won two in a row for the first time this season. The Seagirls – not so sure about that nickname – beat Landes 75-69. Calais has improved to 3-7 after losing the first 6 games in the French league.

Back in the States Stella Beck put together an efficient scoring performance to help St Mary’s Gaels defeat Cal Poly 87-73 after the scores were tied 75 each after regulation time. Beck knocked down 16 points with 5/7 from the field and a perfect 6/6 from the foul line. The former Hutt Valley guard also added 5 rebounds, 2 assists a block and a steal.

Colgate University was comfortably beaten 62-38 by St Bonaventure at home on Saturday. Josie Stockill scored 6 points on a shooting off night (1/6FG) but did add 4 rebounds and two blocks. Stockill’s next block ties her with Colgate’s all time individual career record of 170. Another point of interest is that Colgate failed to score in the opening quarter trailing 10-0 after 10 minutes. Probably not a first but still unusual at college level.

Seattle University (5-6) fell behind early to Boise State (6-4) and could not overcome the deficit as they fell, 84-66, to the Broncos in the grand reopening of Seattle’s Connolly Complex North Court. Boise’s Junior Tall Fern Ella Fotu (5pts) earned bragging rights over Seattle’s Jacinta Beckley (2pts) in this encounter.

Erin Rooney (18pts) paces COB Calais to second win of the season

Jillian Harmon’s Le Mura Lucca met last season’s champions Famila Wuber Schio in the game of the round in the Italian League. Both teams were unbeaten but Lucca underlined their title credentials with an impressive 63-47 away victory. Jillian Harmon was one of three Lucca players in double figures the Tall Ferns forward scoring 13 points to go with triples in assists, rebounds and steals.  A 21-5 third term was instrumental in Lucca’s ninth straight win. Continue reading →

Career high 23pts for Josie Stockill

Erin Rooney’s performance eight days ago missed last week’s report but deserves highlighting, as do the career high efforts of Josie Stockill and the continued strong performances from Kalani Purcell and Jillian Harmon. Continue reading →

Kalani Purcell is in terrific early season form for BYU

We start this week’s Tall Ferns roundup by highlighting the startling figures produced by Kalani Purcell for Brigham Young University – Idaho in the past week. Continue reading →