Jan 06 2019
Leave a comment
Kiwi's Abroad, WNBL

200th appearance ends in disappointment for Micaela Cocks

micaela copy

The Australian Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) title defence is over for Micaela Cocks and Townsville Fire.

Cocks had a three-point attempt rim out to try and force overtime in the 77-72 loss to Dandenong but ultimately her 200thappearance for the Fire ended in disappointment.

The acting captain finished with 14 points (5/10FG) but ultimately her effort, and that of Stella Beck (4 points), were not enough.

It wasn’t a good weekend for another Kiwi skipper though. Toni Farnworth and Perth Lynx were beaten 64-59 in Melbourne by the Boomers. Farnworth’s shooting touch has deserted her of late and she went zero from five in this one.

Kalani Purcell doesn’t need to score too many points to influence a game and again the Tall Ferns forward played a key role for Melbourne despite scoring just three points.  She pulled down a team high 10 rebounds, a team best 3 steals and dished 4 assists in a typical all court display.

The two teams will meet again, this time in Perth, on Thursday.

Adelaide Lightning maintained fourth spot on the WNBL ladder with an 110-61 dismantling of Sydney. Penina Davidson scored in double figures for the Lightning adding 5 rebounds to 13 points (4/8FG).

 

WNBL Ladder:

13-5 Canberra Capitals

13-5 Melbourne Boomers

11-7 Perth Lynx

11-7 Adelaide Lightning

8-10 Dandenong Rangers

7-11 Townsville Fire

7-11 Bendigo Spirit

2-16 Sydney Flames

Jan 04 2019
Leave a comment
Kiwi's Abroad

Fotu and Ulm progress in EuroCup

ratiopharm ulm vs. ALBA Berlin, esayCredit Basketball Bundesliga, Basketball, 30.09.2017

 Photo: Langer/Eibner-Pressefoto

Ratiopharm Ulm are on a three game winning stretch in the EuroCup following a 70-63 win against fellow German side Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt. Isaac Fotu’s contribution was 6 points and 6 rebounds including four at the offensive end.

Back to back wins in December carried Ulm out of section play with a 5 win-5 loss record and into the final sixteen.

They now find themselves in Group D and will need to finish in the top two to progress to the quarter-finals. The two German clubs are joined in the group by Russian club Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar and French side Asvel Villeurbanne. The opening win against Frankfurt in the group is a welcome boost to Ulm’s chances of a spot in the last eight.

Tai Webster and his Turkish club Galatasaray failed to progress to the EuroCup last 16 after finishing with a 3-7 record in initial pool play. They will now focus on the Turkish League where they currently sit fifth on the table with a 7-5 record.

Jan 02 2019
Leave a comment
College Hoops

Reed and Wetzell provide fireworks

Tera Reed

There was plenty of hoops played on New Year’s Eve in the States and it was Akiene-Tera Reed and Yanni Wetzell that provided the fireworks from a Kiwi perspective.

Virginia Commonwealth University, and Reed in particular, will be in good heart ahead of conference play after the Rams butted Delaware State 97-55. Reed scored a career best 28 points (11/13FG) in just 19 minutes of action, dished 6 assists, and claimed 4 rebounds as VCU improved to 8-5. Next up at the weekend is a home encounter against St Joseph’s to open the Atlantic 10 Conference schedule.

Yanni Wetzel

Former Westlake Boys big man Yanni Wetzell enjoyed a second straight start for Vanderbilt and rewarded the Commodores coaching staff with a season best 16 points. In front of 8,000 fans he was nearly perfect from the floor (5 from 6) and the foul line (6 from 7). Wetzell also added 6 rebounds and a couple of blocks, Vanderbilt winning 90-59 against UNC Asheville. The 9-3 Commodores entertain Ole Miss on Sunday (NZT) in its Southeastern Conference opener.

Another ex-Westlake ‘Big’ Jack Salt was only required for 17 minutes as #4 Virginia University moved to 11-0 for the season after a comfortable 100-64 victory against Marshall University. 4 assists, 3 rebounds and a couple of points were all that was needed from the Tall Blacks centre.

Northern Colorado University Bears made it two wins from two outings in Big Sky Conference play with a 79-63 win against Portland State. Krystal Leger-Walker didn’t have the best of shooting nights but the starting points guard still manufactured 8 assists and 3 steals to go with 4 rebounds.

Also 2-0 in conference play are BYU after a 67-59 win at San Francisco in their second West Coast Conference game of the campaign. Starting centre Shalae Salmon score 5 points (2/3FG) for the Cougars.

Dec 31 2018
Leave a comment
College Hoops

Book ends year on a high – latest from US college basketball

Book

Amiee Book sunk a three-pointer with sixteen seconds left on the clock to clinch a 56-55 win for California State Fullerton Titans in their final game in 2018. The Titans begin conference play in the New Year on the back of an 11-4 start to the season, it’s best since 1990-91. Book has played a significant role averaging 10.9 points per game and shooting the three-ball at a heady 47% (21 from 45).

The Kiwi contingent totaled 19 rebounds as Fordham University squeezed past Maine 72-64 in overtime on Saturday as they hosted the Fordham Holiday Classic. Kendell Heremaia was within one board of a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds. Zara Jillings had 4 points and 5 rebounds with Mary Goulding totaling 7 points and also nabbing 5 rebounds.

The trio were busy again the next day as Fordham accounted for Middle Tennessee 61-49 to round out the first half of the season with four straight wins and a 9-5 record. Goulding led the home scoring with 16 points (7/13FG) and added 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Heremaia (5 points and 3 rebounds) and Jillings (7 points and 2 assists) also put in solid shifts.

Kayla Manuirirangi scored 16 points (4/7 3PG) as Tulane University Green Wave beat Central Michigan 68-57 at the Miami Holiday Classic. Tulane are a very healthy 10-3 ahead of American Conference fixtures.

A season high 11 assists from Krystal Leger-Walker, along with 5 points and 6 rebounds, helped propel University of Northern Colorado Bears to victory. The Bears began Big Sky Conference play in strong fashion defeating Sacramento State 82-69.

Also beginning conference play were Brigham Young University. The Cougars beat Santa Clara 54-44 in West Coast Conference action with Shalae Salmon getting half a dozen points and rebounds plus a pair of steals and a block. For Santa Clara Dru Toleafoa nabbed a couple of rebounds and dished a pair of assists.

La Salle University fell 74-47 to Temple to slump to 3-11 for the season ahead of conference play. Michelle Nicholls scored 9 points (3/5 3PG) for La Salle and added deuces in rebounds, assists and steals.

Izayah Le’afa totaled 7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal but Sacramento State lost its opening Big Sky Conference game 70-65 to Northern Colorado.

Jackson Stent scored 6 points as Houston Baptist Huskies ran up a cricket score against Dallas Christian winning 143-92.

Tobias Cameron, in his freshman year at Abilene Christian, scored a career best 5 points and added 4 rebounds as the Wildcats thumped McMurry 88-40 to wrap up their non-conference programme with an impressive 11-2 record.

Dec 23 2018
Leave a comment
College Hoops

Latest roundup on Kiwi Men playing Div 1 hoops

 

Here is a wrap on some of the pre-Xmas action involving the best performing Kiwi men of late in NCAA Division I.

Izayah Le’afa scored a season high 15 points (6/8FG) as Sacramento State Hornets overwhelmed Division II visitors Holy Names University 81-56.

Yanni Wetzell received an early Xmas present. Accorded more court time than he has been receiving in the early games for Vanderbilt University he responded with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks as the Commodores convincingly beat #18 Arizona State 81-65. The win improves the Vanderbilt record to 7-2.

Jack Salt dragged down a season best 9 rebounds to go with 4 points as Virginia Cavaliers defeated South Carolina 69-52. The number 5 ranked Cavaliers are unbeaten through 11 games this season.

Another Kiwi centre Callum McRae was in good form for UC Riverside making 11 points (4/5FG) and 7 rebounds as the Highlanders easily beat Life Pacific University 87-50.

St Mary’s College Gaels were defeated 78-74 by Louisiana State with Dan Fotu snaring 5 rebounds to go with 7 points. Fotu followed that with his first career start in the Gaels 85-56 win against Bucknell. He collected a game high 8 rebounds and knocked down a triple from his only attempt – Kiwi team mate Quinn Clinton also converted from beyond the arc from his only scoring shot.

In a Kiwi v Kiwi matchup it was Sam Waardenburg who came away with the lollies as his Miami Hurricanes prevailed 80-73 against Jackson Stent’s Houston Baptist. Waardenburg, a regular starter now for Miami, had 6 points, 4 rebounds, a block and a steal. Stent was afforded 6 minutes for HBU, producing an assist and a rebound.

Freshman Flynn Cameron enjoyed his best outing in De Paul’s 104-70 victory over Chicago State. The 2018 Junior Tall Black scored 6 points for the Blue Demons.

Most of the teams will be back in action between Xmas and the New Year with conference play just around the corner.

Dec 21 2018
1 Comment
College Hoops, Kiwi's Abroad

Early Xmas for Nisbett, West and McGoldrick

In NCAA Division I Women’s action Amy West, Tsubasa Nisbett and Esra McGoldrick were each given early Xmas presents in the last few days.

Tsubasa Nisbett was awarded her first appearance of the season by Georgia Southern University Eagles. The Eagles swooped on Coastal Georgia winning 68-46 to improve to 4-5 for the season with the Nisbett corralling a couple of rebounds to mark her debut.

Fellow Cantabrian Esra McGoldrick scored her first points in North Carolina State colours, scoring a pair of  baskets as the Wolfpack hounded Maine into submission winning 84-46. The Wolfpack are now 11-0 for the season.

Amy West also scored the first 4 points of her collegiate career for Liberty University Flames last Friday. Unfortunately the Flames were burnt by a buzzer beating three going down 66-63 against East Carolina. The Manawatu Freshman scored from two of her three scoring attempts.

The three Kiwis on the Fordham University roster were prominent as the Rams enjoyed a convincing 69-48 win against Columbia University.

Mary Goulding scored 14 points and added 4 rebounds whilst Kendell Heremaia had a trio of 4’s striking that number in points, rebounds and assists.

Zara Jillings totalled a career high equalling 8 rebounds to go with 6 points (3/5FG) and 3 assists.

Akiene-Tera Reed equalled her best points haul of the season scoring 20 points (3/7FG, 14/16FT) but it wasn’t enough to prevent Virginia Commonwealth going down 54-49 against Radford. Reed also snared 6 rebounds for the Rams.

Cal State Fullerton Titans gave Amiee Book her first start of the season and the freshman guard didn’t disappoint knocking down 3 of her 5 shots from beyond the arc in a 77-65 win against Antelope Valley. That makes 19 made threes for Book from 38 shots in the first ten games of the season at a more than healthy 50%.

It took an overtime period before Northern Colorado Bears secured the win against Chattanooga but they prevailed eventually winning 68-65. Krystal leger-Walker was her usual stats stuffing self – finishing with 5 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals.

Sophmore Michelle Nicholls scored 10 points (4/8FG) but La Salle University slipped to a ninth defeat in ten games going down 83-57 to St John’s.

Dec 17 2018
Leave a comment
Kiwi's Abroad, Tall Ferns

Mate v Mate, Tall Fern v Tall Fern

stella v toni

Stella Beck looks to drive past Toni Farnworth

There were a couple of editions of mate v mate, Tall Fern v Tall Fern, over the weekend in the Australian Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL).

Toni Farnworth filled the stats line for Perth Lynx in their visit to Townsville Fire on Friday but the Lynx were torched by the Fire 97-72. Farnworth only made 2 points but came up with a game high 6 assists to accompany 6 rebounds a block and a steal as she filled most of the stats categories.

Micaela Cocks is in hot form for the Fire at the moment and she came up with 14 points (4/8 3PG) and 4 assists whilst Stella Beck also chipped in with a couple of points for Townsville.

Over 2,000 home fans saw Melbourne Boomers come from behind to beat Adelaide Lightning 83-78 with Tall Ferns forward Kalani Purcell her normal vibrant self – 6 points, 5 rebounds, a steal and a block.

Penina Davidson, in her debut season for Adelaide, had a couple of points and a pair of rebounds as the Lightnings five game winning streak came to an end. The win lifts Melbourne past Perth to the top of the WNBL ladder.

WNBL Ladder (at 17.12.18)

10-5 Melbourne Boomers

9-5 Perth Lynx

8-5 Canberra Capitals

8-7 Adelaide Lightning

7-6 Dandenong Rangers

6-7 Townsville Fire

6-9 Bendigo Spirit

2-12 Sydney Flames

Dec 13 2018
Leave a comment
Kiwi's Abroad, Tall Blacks, Uncategorized

Webster exits EuroCup but Fotu fights on

 

tai-webster-galatasaray-istanbul-photo-brescia-ec18

Tai Webster scored 18 points (6/13FG, 6/7FT) for his Turkish club Galatasaray on Wednesday night but it wasn’t enough to stave off elimination from the EuroCup.

Galatasaray needed a win at Group A leaders AS Monaco but fell 76-71 and with a 3-6 record are eliminated from the EuroCup with one round of games still to play.

Still alive are Isaac Fotu and his German club Ratiopharm Ulm. With a 4-5 record Ulm travel to Italy next week to meet Brescia – the winners of the tie will grab the one remaining place available from Group A to progress to the last sixteen.

In Tuesday night’s game Ulm defeated Morabanc Andorra 88-80 to keep their hopes of progressing from group-play alive. Ulm coach Thorston Leibenath used his players sparingly with nine players logging between 14 minutes and 21 minutes. Fotu played just 14 minutes checking out with 2 points, 2 rebounds an assist and a steal.

In German League action Ulm, after a poor start losing five of their first six games, have won three games on the bounce and are up to ninth on the Bundesliga ladder with a 4-5 record.

In the Turkish League Galatasaray are sixth on the table with a 5-4 record after an 86-76 win against Banvit BK last weekend.

Dec 12 2018
Leave a comment
College Hoops, Kiwi's Abroad

Jack Salt and Virginia a perfect nine from nine

Jack Salt

Jack Salt and Virginia University Cavaliers are a perfect nine from nine after defeating Virginia Commonwealth 57-49 on Sunday. Jack only had a single points but did pull down 7 boards. Depending on which poll you view Virginia are currently ranked between #3 and #6 nationally.

Vanderbilt University Commodores enjoyed a comfortable 79-51 win against Middle Tennessee to improve to 6-2 for the season. Yanni Wetzel benefitted from 17 minutes court time making 5 points, 3 rebounds, a pair of steals, an assist and a block.

Eight points (4/6FG) and 4 rebounds from Callum McRae helped University of California Riverside Highlanders break a three game losing slide. The Highlanders squeezed past Pepperdine to improve to 3-7 for the season and will enjoy a ten day break before their next outing.

Yuat Alok scored 7 points as Texas Christian University thumped University of California 96-61 at the Staples Centre in the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. TCU boast a 7-1 start to the season.

St Mary’s Gaels had little trouble seeing off New Mexico winning 85-60 with Quinn Clinton making one of two threes and Dan Fotu dishing 3 assists to accompany a quartet of points and boards. The Gaels (7-4) followed that with a fourth straight win defeating California State Fullerton 81-66. Fotu claimed a game high equalling 3 offensive boards, snaring six rebounds in total, along with 5 points.

Izayah Le’afa added 3 steals to 9 points but the sophomore guard didn’t have the best of shooting nights as Sacramento State Hornets fell 76-67 at Portland. Le’afa made just 3 from 12 from the field but the Hornets still boast a 4-2 record this season.

Sam Timmins came up with 4 points, 3 rebounds and a block to help Washington Huskies get the win, 70-62, at Seattle on Sunday. Washington now 7-3 for the season.

Dec 10 2018
Leave a comment
College Hoops, Kiwi's Abroad

Career night for Michelle Nicholls the highlight of Kiwi women’s performances in the States

Michelle Nicholls

Career high for Michelle Nicholls

Michelle Nicholls and Akiene-Tera Reed were teammates at Life Centre Academy, New Jersey during their final two years of high school. Both secured NCAA Division 1 scholarships following their time at LCA with Reed grabbing most the headlines for her scoring feats at Virginia Commonwealth University over the last season and a half. However, it was Nicholls turn to shine at the weekend as her all-round performance carried La Salle University Explorers to their first win of the season.

Nicholls had to bide her time last year getting little opportunity during her freshman season. However playing time has increased this season and the additional playing experience helped her put together an outstanding stats line to help La Salle claim that first win after eight straight losses. Nicholls scored a career high 17 points to accompany 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals in 30 minutes of action as the Explorers beat Norfolk State 76-65.

Reed produced an efficient shooting display (5/8FG, 6/6FT) but her 16 points were not enough to get VCU Rams across the line at Cincinnati going down 66-54 – the Rams still boast a 6-4 record ahead of a week off.

In other news from NCAA Division 1 hoops 13 points (3/5 3PG) from guard Kayla Manirirangi helped Tulane University Green Wave make it seven wins from the first eight games with a 71-46 win over Nicholls University.

The win was a remarkable 500thfor Tulane Head Coach Lisa Stockton in her 25thseason leading Tulane.

Mary Goulding threatened a double-double in the Fordham University Rams 65-52 loss at Pittsburgh. In addition to 8 points Goulding secured 9 rebounds (4 at the offensive end) and distributed a game high 5 assists. Kendell Heremaia chipped in with 9 points– the Rams now 5-5 for the season.

Amiee Book set new college highs in steals and rebounds as Cal State Fullerton Titans came away from a trip across country to New York with a 61-58 victory over Columbia. Book snared a game high 5 steals, to go with 7 boards and 7 points.

aimee book

Amiee Book

Tegan Graham scored 6 points as Colgate University Raiders stole a 61-52 road win against University of Massachusetts Lowell to improve to 4-4 for the season. The Wellingtonian hit 2 from 5 threes.

Also scoring half a dozen but in a losing cause was Shalae Salmon as BYU were defeated 78-67 by Utah.

Rotorua native Matangiroa Flavell scored a season best 4 points for Houston Baptist but the Huskies fell 100-75 at North Texas.

← Older posts
Newer posts →