LACEY LOWDOWN

Jillian Harmon in fine form in Italy

In a week when our Tall Blacks players in Europe had rather quiet performances it was Tall Ferns forward Jillian Harmon that grabbed the headlines.

Harmon had plenty to celebrate as her Italian club Le Murra Lucca progressed to a second Championship Final, in their sixth year in the top flight SerieA Italian League, where they will take on arch rivals Familia Schio.

Amazingly the second game of Lucca’s semi-final series followed the same pattern as the first by going to overtime.

As in game one the outcome was the same with Le Murra Lucca prevailing 68-64 against Venezia after it was locked 58 points apiece at the end of regular time.

There were no more than two points separating the teams at the end of each quarter. Harmon nailed 17 points, including a game clinching free throw with 16 seconds left in normal time, to give Lucca a match winning four points buffer.

 All the other overseas based Tall Ferns were back in the country at the weekend trying out for the national team.

The trials were held on Saturday and Sunday with the selected players remaining in camp on Monday and Tuesday before departing for a tour of China and Europe on Wednesday.

 Europe –Men

On Sunday Zaragoza visited Fuenlabrada in Spanish League action. Fuenlabrada sitting 7^th on the Liga Endesa ladder and with more to play for than the mid table placed Zaragoza underlined their superiority with an emphatic 105-85 win.

Zaragoza led 21-17 at the end of the first quarter but were overpowered in the remainder of the game. Isaac Fotu recorded 4 rebounds a steal and a block but managed just 3 points (1/4FG) for the visitors.

In Belgium Limburg United went down 82-75 against Telenet Oostende in their final regular season game of the Scooore League. Just 4 points, 2 rebounds and an assist for Rob Loe in that game.

The Tall Blacks centre and his Limburg colleagues face a hectic week as they take on Port of Antwerp Giants in a best of three quarter final series. The players face three games in five days beginning on Tuesday.

Pinar Karsiyaka are having a busy road trip in the final few days of the Turkish Spor Toto Basketbol Ligi regular season.

On Thursday they travelled to Buyukcekmece and came away with an exciting 100-99 win, Tom Abercrombie contributing 11 points, 5 rebound and 2 assists.

They then faced recently crowned Eurocup winners Fenerbache and came off second best losing 74-67, with Abercrombie managing just three points.

With Fenerbache looking likely runners-up and Karsiyaka currently seventh on the ladder the two teams are on course for a best of three quarter-final clash beginning later this week.

In other news from Turkey twelve of the 16 clubs that play in Turkey’s top flight Spor Toto Basketbol Ligi on Friday confirmed their registration for the Basketball Champions League.

Pinar Karsiyaka, Banvit Basketbol, Besiktas Sompo Japan, Akin Corap Yesilgiresun BLD, Demir Insaat Buyukcekmece, Istanbul BBSK, Muratbey Usak Sportif, Ronesans Ted Ankara Kolejliler, Royal Hali Gaziantep, Torku Konya Spor, Trabzonspor Medicalpark and Turk Telekom have all registered to be a part of the innovative 50-50 joint partnership between FIBA and 10 top European leagues that will tip off its inaugural season in September 2016.

A double double for Toni Edmondson

The performances of the week amongst our international basketball players overseas belonged to the two Western Australian based Tall Ferns, Toni Edmondson and Lisa Wallbutton.

Playing for Perry Lakes Hawks in the Western Australian State League Edmondson produced 14 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots as the Hawks beat Mandurah Magic 66-56 on Friday.

It was a tight first half but Perry Lakes, now 5-1 for the season, broke the game open in the third quarter with 21 points to 9 to set up the win despite a strong fourth period from Mandurah.

Perth Redbacks had lost two games on the trot but bounced back on ANZAC Day to defeat East Perth Eagles 76-59. Lisa Wallbutton also recorded a double double notching 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Redbacks improve to 4-2 on the season holding fifth spot on the State League ladder a couple of places behind the 5-1 Hawks.

In Melbourne Tall Ferns Head coach Kennedy Kereama’s Sunbury Jets moved to 6-0 for the season in Big V League Division one action.

On Saturday the Jets were far too strong for Hawthorn cruising to a 67-38 one-sided win

Tall Ferns forward Jess Bygate had 11 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist in 16 minutes for the Jets as she eases back towards full fitness.

Europe – Women

After winning the Serie A regular season title a couple of weeks ago Le Murra Lucca opened their play-off campaign with a comfortable 85-62 quarter final victory over Napoli on Wednesday.

Played at the Pala Tagliate Lucca opened an 8-0 lead and were never threatened. Jillian Harmon (15 points) was one of five Lucca players in double figures.

Game two was played in Naples on Sunday. That was a lower scoring affair, although the result was the same, Lucca winning 68-47 with Harmon contributing 8 points as they progress to a semi-final meeting with Venezia next weekend.

Europe –Men

Zaragoza moved to equal 14^th on the Liga Endesa table after defeating bottom placed Gipuzkoa in San Sebastian 84-75 on Sunday. Isaac Fotu had a relatively quiet game scoring 8 points (converting four from eight shots) and also securing a couple of rebounds.

Next week Zaragoza will entertain Fotu’s former club Manresa, both sides holding an identical 10-19 record for the season.

Rob Loe only played 18 minutes for Limburg United in the Belgium Scooore League fixture with Proximus Spirou on Sunday but it was long enough for him to grab a game high 7 rebounds. The former Westlake Boys centre also produced 4 points and an assist, steal and block as Limburg lost 90-76.

United are now tied for fourth place with Port of Antwerp Giants in the Scooore League. The two teams meet next week at Limburg with just a couple of rounds remaining before play-off action. With the current standing unlikely to alter in the last two rounds the game is a likely precursor to a quarter-final match up between the two teams.

Tom Abercrombie’s club Pinar Karsiyaka had its scheduled game against Galatasaray deferred for a couple of weeks. Galatasaray are in the midst of a two game Eurocup Final series against Strasbourg trailing 66-62 from the first leg. Game two is in Istanbul on Wednesday.S

Duane Bailey should be back in Sharks colours this week

The major news involving Kiwi international players overseas this week is that Duane Bailey is about to depart London bound for Invercargill and Tall Ferns star Micaela Cocks has re signed for Townsville Fire for a further two seasons.

Duane Bailey came close to a triple double for Plymouth Raiders against Glasgow Rocks on Wednesday but it was virtually his last offering in the British Basketball League season.

At the beginning of the week the Raiders shared eighth spot with Leeds Force and had to match the Force record in the final two games of the regular season to make the play-offs. Leeds had the far easier schedule playing the two bottom placed teams, Manchester and Surrey.

However Plymouth were defeated 87-77 on the road at Glasgow Rocks on Wednesday where Bailey had an impressive stat line of 12pts, 10rebs, 7assists, 2 blocks and a steal.

The loss opened the door for Leeds who duly won their final two games and condemned Plymouth to ninth spot despite the Raiders winning their last game, 84-76, at home to Sheffield on Sunday (Bailey, 8 points and 5 rebounds).

Bailey has confirmed that he expects to be back in time to play for Southland Sharks in the New Zealand NBL this week. The Sharks have a tough three games in five days road trip beginning with a visit to Nelson on Thursday. It may be more realistic for Bailey to target the game in Taranaki on Friday. Southland round out the tri-trip against the Saints in Wellington next Monday.

Plymouth finished with a 13-20 record, one win and one place outside the play-off picture.

In other news from Europe Zaragoza was only 6 points behind visitors Gran Canaria at three-quarter time on Sunday but could make little headway in reducing the lead eventually falling 96-87. Isaac Fotu had an efficient shooting night on his way to 14 points and 4 rebounds. The former Rangitoto College standout converted both of his free throws as well as 6 from 9 field goals.

Zaragoza remain 15^th on the Liga Endesa table with a 9-19 record but must beat bottom placed Gipuzkoa in San Sebastian next week to avoid becoming embroiled in the relegation battle.

Tom Abercrombie’s club Pinar Karsiyaka had a comfortable 82-60 win against Torku Konyaspor in Turkish League action on Saturday. Abercrombie had 11 points, 2 rebounds a pair of steals and an assist as Karsiyaka consolidate sixth place in the TBL with a 15-11 record. Four rounds remain in the regular season.

Limburg United had a bye in the Belgium League this week giving Rob Loe and his team a weekend off.

Australia – Women

Micaela Cocks staying with Townsville Fire 

In a week when the Tall Ferns 23 player training squad was named it was also announced that Micaela Cocks has signed on for a further two years with Townsville Fire.

The WNBL Grand Final MVP has enjoyed tremendous success at Townsville, the Fire not missing the play-offs in her five years with the club. Cocks has made 129 appearances for the defending champions and is looking forward to further triumphs with the Queensland club.

“I have really enjoyed contributing to the success of the Fire over the past five years and I could think of nothing better than winning a third championship for Townsville and all of our wonderful fans,” Cocks said.

“Townsville is my home away from home now and I’m looking forward to the season ahead. It should be another great year.”

Before that Cocks has the Tall Ferns Olympic Qualifying Tournament to look forward to.

On the court a number of the Tall Ferns training squad were in action at the weekend.

In Western Australia it wasn’t a weekend to remember for the two Tall Ferns playing in the State League.

The Perth Redbacks (3-2) suffered a second successive loss going down 76-68 to Stirling Senators. Lisa Wallbutton finished with a massive 15 rebounds to go with 9 points and a brace of assists. Other than free throws (5 out of 8) it wasn’t the best of shooting nights for the former Harbour forward connecting with just 2 from 13 attempts from the field.

Toni Edmondson also had a shooting night to forget managing a paltry 3 from 15 attempts. The swingman finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists as Perry Lakes (4-1) lost its first game of the season going down in a tight one, 68-67 to Joondalup Wolves.

In Melbourne Tall Ferns Head coach Kennedy Kereama’s Sunbury Jets embarrassed two opponents in Big V League Division one action.

The Jets accounted for Weribee Devils 108-45 on Saturday and Craigieburn Eagles 95-40 on Sunday.

The victories were achieved without much contribution from Jess Bygate who is still nursing an injury.

Europe – Women

Neither Jillian Harmon or Erin Rooney were in action for their respective clubs at the weekend.

Harmon’s Le Murra Lucca await the outcome of the Torino versus Napoli three game series ahead of their Italian League quarter-final tie on April 21.

Rooney’s club Calais had a bye in the French League although it is unclear when the guard will return to action having not played since mid February due to injury.

Impressive stats line from Tom Abercrombie

It has been a productive week for our overseas based international basketball players with all producing double figure scoring efforts in the last few days.

Europe –Men

A couple of our European based Tall Blacks have requested to be listed as free agents for next season’s Australian National Basketball League. Rob Loe and Duane Bailey appear on the list that was released last Friday and it will be interesting to see if they secure contracts in this part of the world.

Their current clubs had differing fortunes over the weekend.

Rob Loe and his Limburg club solidified fourth spot on the Belgium League ladder winning 72-64 against Port of Antwerp Giants. The Tall Blacks centre had 7 points (2/3FG) and 6 rebounds. Loe scored 13 points in the midweek loss, 80-68, to Proximus Spirou.

Plymouth Raiders had their work cut out visiting British Basketball League leaders Leicester Riders on Sunday so could have done without one of their key players being ejected from the game. Cory Dixon was shown the door, following a second technical foul, after just 10 minutes of play. Operating with a short rotation anyway the Raiders were always going to struggle from that point and not surprisingly lost 92-68.

Duane Bailey scored 16 points and added 6 rebounds and 3 assists as the Raiders cling on to the eighth spot with a 12-17 record – just three regular season games remain for the Raiders.

Tom Abercrombie appears to have slotted comfortably into his new surroundings at Turkish club Pinar Karsiyaka. The Tall Blacks and Breakers swingman produced an impressive stats line of 17 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block as Karsiyaka defeated TED Kolejliler 90-79 on the road.Karsiyaka have a 14-10 record and sit 6^th on the Turkish League table.

Corey Webster played all 40 minutes for Koroivos as they lost 92-78 against PAOK and remain in relegation trouble in the Greek League. The shooting guard dished 7 assists and scored 12 points as Koroivos slipped to a seventh straight loss.

Isaac Fotu was in fine form for Zaragoza as they defeated Estudian 81-62 on Sunday. One of four Zaragoza players in double figures Fotu accumulated 16 points and also secured 7 rebounds during 25 minutes of court time. Zaragoza improved to 14^th in Liga Endesa with an 8-17 record.

Europe – Women

 A third loss in a row has resulted in Le Murra Lucca bowing out of the Italian Cup at the semi-final stage. Lucca were defeated 68-60 by Famila Schio on Saturday despite yet another strong performance from Jillian Harmon.

The Tall Ferns forward scored 29 points and also contributed 6 rebounds and 4 steals in a losing cause.

Australia – Women

Tall Ferns Head coach Kennedy Kereama is also head coach of the Sunbury Jets in the Victorian Big V League. Kereama has recruited Tall Fern Jess Bygate for the 2016 season and the former Nelson Sparks forward produced an 11 points and 6 rebounds effort on Saturday as the Jets beat Chelsea on the road to move to 2-0 for the season.