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RNZ News
11-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Tall Blacks score rare home win over Australian Boomers
Taylor Britt running the ball for the Tall Blacks against the Australian Boomers, in the third international, at Globox Arena, Hamilton, on Sunday. Photo: PHOTOSPORT The Tall Blacks have had a rare home win over the Boomers, while the Tall Ferns have lost their third straight test to the Opals in the Trans Tasman Throwdown series. Australia won both men's and women's series, with victories in the first two tests in Adelaide and Sunshine Coast. But the Tall Blacks avoided a series sweep, winning the third test 106-97 in Hamilton, with a much more aggressive display on attack. It was Australia's first test in Aotearoa for nearly 10 years, but they could not find the dominance they had in their 80-68 and 92-67 victories from the first two games in their own country . The Tall Blacks rocked them in the first three quarters at Globox Arena and held a 24-point lead going into the final stanza. The Australians rallied, narrowing the gap to just seven points with a few minutes remaining, but the New Zealanders held their nerve in the dying stages, with match star Taylor Britt being the steady influence as he dropped in a three-pointer with 90 seconds remaining. Britt was the individual star, with 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, stepping up with aplomb given the absence of injured mainstay Shea Ili. Reuben Te Rangi added 18 points and three assists, Kaia Isaac 14 points and seven rebounds, Tohi Smith-Milner 13 points and four boards, Carlin Davison 12 points and four rebounds, and Walter Brown nine points, seven boards and four assists. The Tall Blacks pulled in 50 rebounds, to 28 from Australia. Elijah Pepper topscored for the Boomers, with 28 points. The Tall Ferns' Ella Tofaeono shooting for goal against the Australian Opals in the Trans-Tasman Throwdown, at Globox Arena, Hamilton, on Sunday. Photo: Photosport The Tall Ferns couldn't make it a home double, going down 86-71 to the Opals, but they had their rivals under the pump a number of times. Skipper Esra McGoldrick scored the most points in the game, with 19, one more than Australia's Courtney Woods, as the young New Zealand side put in an improved performance after the Opals won the first two tests, 88-70 and 98-57. Tall Ferns coach Natalie Hurst said she was very proud of her players, who had pushed Australia hard with a display that built on what they had learnt in the first two tests. "They are tired, physically and mentally, and to push through into lead changes seven times and to keep these guys to 86 we are very happy with," Hurst told Sky Sport. Sharne Robati and McKenna Dale both scored 11 points for the Tall Ferns.
RNZ News
07-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Tall Ferns and Tall Blacks beaten in opening trans-Tasman games
Ashlee Strawbridge of the Tall Ferns takes a shot against Australia Opals, 2025. Photo: PHOTOSPORT The Tall Ferns and Tall Blacks have both been beaten by Australia in the opening games of the inaugural Trans-Tasman Throwdown basketball series in Adelaide. The Tall Ferns were beaten 88-70 by the Opals, while the Tall Blacks went down to the Boomers 80-68. The New Zealand women gave the number two ranked Opals a bit of a scare in the first half. The Ferns, who featured five debutants, started strongly but the Australians had an answer to everything the visitors presented. Australia were up by 10 after the first quarter before New Zealand closed to within four at three-quarter time. However the Ferns faded in the last stanza as the home side took control. Sharne Robati top scored for the Tall Ferns with 19 points while Pahlyss Hokianga had 10. Shea Ili of the Tall Blacks and Elijah Pepper of the Boomers, 2025. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Meanwhile the Tall Blacks jumped out to an early lead against the Boomers on the back of the experienced heads of Reuben Te Rangi and Shea Ili. New Zealand were up by four after the first quarter and five at half time before the home side took control. Dejan Vasiljevic hit 23 points and Elijah Pepper 16 as Australia went on to score a comfortable victory. Te Rangi with 15 points and Ili with 12 lead the scoring for the visitors who had only New Zealand-based players in their squad. Tall Blacks coach Judd Flavell said they can take a lot from the game. "The second half just got away from us and a large part of that is how the Boomers responded with their defence," Flavell said. "We forced it too much and didn't have that flow going in the second half and that lead to them getting stops." The second games of the series are on the Sunshine Coast on Friday before the final games in Hamilton.
