There are nine Harbour women’s representatives players performing well in American college hoops at present.
We take a look at their progress read more
LACEY LOWDOWN
ALL THINGS NEW ZEALAND BASKETBALL
Australian WNBL semi-finals will feature four Tall Ferns
There were some surprise results in the final round of the Australia WNBL regular season. Although the top four play-off positions have been decided there was still plenty to play for in the Townsville Fire against Sydney University Flames match up on Friday night.
It turned out the Fire were engulfed by the Flames suffering their biggest loss of the season (107-81) and worse still gave up home court advantage for their best-of-three semi-final series against the same opponents next week should a third game be required.
The two teams were one win apiece in the head to head match up entering the contest. Micaela Cocks had a team high 4 assists to go with 4 points but it was a night to forget for the 2016 champions.
Perth Lynx are assured of the WNBL minor premiership but having won 14 straight games it was a major surprise that they lost their final two regular season games albeit both were on the road. On Friday they went down 74-69 at Canberra Capitals and on New Years Eve Townsville provided the fireworks as they protected home court with an 83-51 romp.
It was a good finish to the season for Canberra’s Kiwi guard Chevannah Paalvast who not only notched three rebounds and two points in the victory but also enjoyed the satisfaction of being named the Capitals Defensive Player of the Year before the game. It was the last game of the season for Canberra who, after a tough season, won five of their last six games to finish with a 7-14 record.
For Perth Toni Farnworth had a shooting night to forget going zero from six against Canberra but she bounced back strongly against Townsville finishing second in scoring (8 points) and rebounding (6 boards).
Micaela Cocks (10 points) was one of three Townsville players in double figures and she also secured 5 rebounds.
In a game of little consequence Melbourne Boomers thumped Dandenong Rangers 80-45 on Saturday night. Kalani Purcell underlined her value to the Boomers heading into the play-offs – only 5 points for the Tall Ferns forward but a game high equaling 10 rebounds plus 4 steals and 3 assists. Fellow Tall Fern Rebecca Ott chipped in with 2 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
Amazingly Dandenong were held scoreless – yes zero points – in the final quarter won 21-0 by Melbourne!
The semi-final games begin next Wednesday with Perth (featuring Toni Farnworth) taking on Melbourne (Purcell and Ott) and Sydney matching up against Townsville (Cocks). Both are best-of-three series with Perth and Sydney hosting the third and deciding game if required.
Over in Europe Jillian Harmon had the satisfaction of leading Napoli to a convincing 69-47 road win against her former club Le Murra Lucca. Harmon won an Italian League championship with Lucca last season but turned on a 16 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists, 2 steals master-class against her former teammates to help Napoli to end the year on a high note – they are now fifth on the ten team Italian League table but significantly only one win behind second placed Venezia.
Former Harbour players playing at elite level in USA
Of the seven former Harbour representatives (Men) playing college hoops in the States five are at Division 1 universities.
Mixed results for our Tall Blacks in Europe to close out 2017
In Germany Tai Webster and Frankfurt Skyliners had a loss and a win sandwiched in between Xmas and the New Year.
Webster scored 20 points, including a perfect three from three from beyond the arc, as the Skyliners took care of Walter Tigers 90-63 on Boxing Day.
Three days later they went down 81-64 against Wurzburg – for the second game running Webster recorded 5 assists and also added 10 points.
Ratiopharm Ulm only had one game in the same period but it was against German League leaders Bayern Munich. Bayern have only lost one game this season and proved too strong for Ulm winning 89-75. Isaac Fotu had his quietest game of the season attempting just one shot in 18 minutes of action an finished on zero points, a single rebound and one steal.
The Skyliners sit sixth on the Bundesliga ladder with a 10-6 record and Ulm one place back with 9 wins and 6 losses.
In Israel there is a break in the competition with Corey Webster not due back on court until early January.
Dion Prewster is averaging 9 points per game for Paderborn who have a 6-10 record and sit 12th of 16 teams on the German second division ladder.
In the Spanish second division Mike Karena scored a season best 18 points for Forca Lieda in their 95-80 win against Melilla. Lieda are mid-table with a 7-8 record.
Kiwis shine in Australian WNBL plus news on Fotu and Webster in Germany
Micaela Cocks a perfect six from six shooting
In Germany Tai Webster and Isaac Fotu wrapped up their pre-Xmas programmes in differing fashions while in Australia the WNBL is already approaching the business end of the season and Tall Ferns Micaela Cocks, Toni Farnworth, Rebecca Ott and Kalani Purcell are all heavily involved.
Webster had an eye catching 13 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists for Frankfurt Skyliners but they were humbled 83-59 at Giessen 46ers.
In contrast Ratiopharm Ulm beat Oettinger Rockets 78-62 with Fotu claiming 11 points. Both Ulm and Frankfurt have identical 9-5 records and sit comfortably inside the Bundesliga top 8 bracket.
In the Australia WNBL the top four play-off positions have been decided with a round to spare with four of five Kiwis playing in the league to feature in post-season play.
Perth Lynx (14-4) have extended their winning sequence to an incredible 15 games after beating Melbourne Boomers 84-66. Toni Farnworth made a useful contribution of 5 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals as Perth sealed top spot and home advantage during the play-offs.
For Melbourne Rebecca Ott scored 8 points and Kalani Purcell garnered a game high 13 rebounds.
The fourth Kiwi lined up to play in the semi-finals is Micaela Cocks who on Thursday had a perfect shooting night as Townsville Fire dealt to Canberra Capitals winning 99-66.
The Tall Ferns guard was, excuse the pun, on Fire as she didn’t miss a shot in her 18 points outing – 6 from 6 from the field, knocking down all five shots from beyond the arc, and also adding a free-throw.
Cocks followed that with 10 points on Saturday as Townsville demolished Bendigo Spirit 120-62.
As a result The Fire will take on defending champions Sydney University Flames in one semi-final with Perth to meet Melbourne in the other match-up.
These games will take place in early January.
Pre-Xmas wrap on Tall Ferns and Tall Blacks in Div 1 colleges
As we near Xmas the American College basketball season is still in full swing and a number of Kiwi internationals have produced impressive numbers of late.
Virginia Cavaliers are ranked a lofty 13th in the nation after a conclusive 78-47 win against Savannah State. Jack Salt was perfect from the field converting all four scoring attempts and added two from four from the charity stripe – eventually finishing with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks as Virginia now boast a 10-1 record.
Sam Timmins, but for missing 6 of 9 free throws, would have had a double-double in Washington Huskies narrow 80-70 win at Loyola Marymount. The Tall Blacks centre came up with 9 points and 11 rebounds. This was followed a couple of days later by a 106-55 frying of Bethune-Cookman with Timmins registering game high blocks (3) and rebounds (7) in the rout.
Matt Freeman and the Oklahoma Sooners are 9-1 for the season after defeating Northwestern State 105-68. Freeman had 6 points (2/3 3PG), 3 rebounds and 2 blocks in a game in which the Sooners outstanding Freshman guard Trae Young dished a record 22 assists.
It’s rather unusual to find a point guard leading the rebounding count but that’s what Izayah Le’afa accomplished as Sacramento State Hornets beat CSUN 66-61. Le’afa finished just shy of a double-double registering 9 boards and 10 points as the Hornets registered their fourth win of the year.
It’s been a tough schedule recently for Isaac Letoa and his Dartmouth teammates. Playing their fifth consecutive game on the road the Big Green were defeated 97-87 at Notre Dame – Letoa played 8 minutes dishing a brace of assists and grabbing a rebound.
And the Tall Ferns …………..
Stella Beck scored 16 points as St Mary’s Gaels beat Eastern Washington. The former Hutt Valley guard also snared 6 rebounds as the Gaels improve their record this season to 7-3.
Jacinta Beckley came up with a game high 4 steals in addition to 9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists but Seattle Redhawks slipped up against Pacific going down 85-73.
Brooke Blair scored 7 points and snared a couple of steals as Idaho State Bengals beat Utah Valley 70-58 on the road for their seventh win of the season.
The Bengals have a ten day break before they open Big Sky Conference play on December 28th and Blair will take the opportunity to return to Auckland for a few days ahead of an intense second half of the season.
Tessa Boagni accumulated a game high 21 points even though, due to foul trouble, she only played 19 minutes as California State Northridge Matadors defeated Northern Arizona. The Matadors centre was a perfect 3 from 3 from beyond the arc.
Penina Davidson had 9 points and 8 rebounds as Cal Berkeley Golden Bears defeated BYU 70-45 on Saturday.
For BYU 2016 NZ Select representative Shalae Salmon scored 8 points (4/5FG) and captured 6 rebounds.
Krystal Leger-Walker dished 8 assists and chipped in with 5 points as Northern Colorado Bears bit Missouri-Kansas 88-73.
Plenty of festive cheer in the States
If you are a Harbour basketball fan there is a lot to like about the performances of American college players that used to wear the maroon singlet.
Tai Webster, Fotu, Harmon and Farnworth all in double figures
Once again the NZ based players in Europe were in fine form at the weekend.
Tai Webster was outstanding for Frankfurt Skyliners scoring 29 points, two shy of his season best, in the 90-84 win against Alba Berlin. Webster’s shooting numbers were impressive connecting with 9 from 12 from the field and an identical 9 from 12 freebies – he also contributed 5 assists
Also in good form was Isaac Fotu as Ratiopharm Ulm beat Wuerzburg 72-69. Fotu scored 16 points on 6 from 9 shooting. After a poor start to the season Ulm have found good form of late, this their sixth straight win.
In Italy Napoli (6-5) slipped back to fifth on the Serie A ladder after going down 76-60 to second placed Venezia. Jillian Harmon played all 40 minutes for Napoli and registered her fourth double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds – also adding 5 assists and 3 steals.
In Australia WNBL Perth Lynx (14-4) have extended their winning sequence to an amazing 13 games after wins against Adelaide Lightning (99-82) and Melbourne Boomers (92-89) in the latest round of games. Cantabrian Toni Farnworth (nee Edmondson) made her biggest contribution since returning from injury scoring 13 points against Adelaide.
In the battle of first v third against Melbourne Farnworth was less prolific but still managed 8 points. For Melbourne Kalani Purcell had 5 rebounds and 5 assists pus a brace of points and steals.
Townsville Fire (11-6) are second on the table after beating Dandenong 83-71 with Micaela Cocks scoring five points.
Chevannah Paalvast scored three points in both of Canberra Capital’s wins at the weekend – the victories against Bendigo (91-80) and Adelaide (88-87) lifted Canberra above Bendigo at the bottom of the table.
Povey and Franklin take Storm to Mexicali title
The combined scoring power of Tall Fern forward Deena Franklin and young Massey High shooting guard Shauna Povey carried Storm to a convincing 99-70 win against Suns in the Women’s 2017 Mexicali Fresh Summer Jam final at Atlas Place on Saturday.
The pair combined for 61 points with shooting splits that Suns were unable to match – 20/32 field goals, 6/9 threes and 15 from 20 freebies.
Povey set the tone in the first quarter connecting with her first three scoring attempts – all dropping from behind the arc – to help Storm to an early 26-20 lead.
The lead became 48-36 at the interval with Millie Nathan complimenting the work of Franklin in the paint.
Olivia Berry and Franklin combined well in some pick and roll action early in the third but three straight scores from Luye Murphy and a drive from Tabitha Jenkins pulled Sun to within three points (51-48).
Jazz and Zaaliyah Kailahi-Fulu were working hard under the boards and they helped keep the Suns in touch before a late surge courtesy of Allahna Hughes and Bella Elgar took Storm to a 70-55 three-quarter time lead.
The final frame was dominated by Storm as Povey landed her fifth triple of the game, Stevee-Rose Theyers chimed in with a couple from long range and Franklin continued to dominate in the paint. 29 points from Storm in the fourth put paid to any ray of hope Suns had of a bright final quarter finish.
Storm 99 – Povey 33, Franklin 28, Berry 14, Theyers 6, Nathan 6
Suns 70 – Murphy 16, J Kailahi-Fulu 13, Z Kailahi-Fulu 13, T Jenkins 10
Braswell takes Birdmen to Mexicali title
Kevin Braswell scored a game high 42 points to lead Birdmen to the 2017 Mexicali Fresh Summer Jam title with an ultimately convincing 123-107 victory against Railsplitters.
Birdmen led at every quarter-time break but Railsplitters, with Jaylen Gerrand, Judson Seumanu and Samson Aruwa in good form, only trailed 103-95 with four minutes to play.
At that point the former Southlands Sharks and Breakers standout put the hammer down, or put more accurately put on a shooting clinic.
He reeled off 11 straight points including a couple of trademark threes buried off the dribble. An assist for a Brandon Lucas dunk sealed the deal as a tight single digit advantage was blown out to a twenty points lead in a little over two minutes.
Earlier Juan Cruz Colla, Tinashe Matambanadzo, Dom Kelman-Poto, back from representing New Zealand Maori against the Australian Indigenous team in Cairns last week, held sway in the opening half to help Birdmen to a 63-51 half-time lead.
Another NZ Maori representative Judson Seumanu along with Gerrand kept Railsplitters in touch at the last break – down 90-81.
Birdmen stretched the lead to 103-86 early in the fourth but Gerrand, Will Heather, the Aruwa brothers and Zack Te Puni responded to pull Railsplitters back to that 103-95 margin.
From then on it was all Braswell who ruled the roost as he scored 16 of Birdmen’s last twenty points.
Birdmen 123 – Braswell 42, Matambanadzo 31, Colla 19, Lucas 17, Kelman-Poto 10
Railsplitters 107 – Gerrand 24, Samson Aruwa 21, Seumanu 18, Heather 14, Sam Aruwa 12
LACEY LOWDOWN 