Source: Radio New Zealand
Max Darling of New Zealand shoots against the Philippines. photosport
The Tall Blacks are off the mark in their World Cup qualifying pool for next year’s basketball World Cup, overcoming the Philippines 69-66 in a tense affair in Manila.
Sam Mennenga was influential under the basket as New Zealand staved off a charge from the home side and a raucous home crowd over the closing minutes.
It follows twin losses for the 25th-ranked Tall Blacks in their two opening Asian qualifying group games against world No.6 Australia last last year which left them on the back foot in their four-team pool.
The top three teams advance to the next window, with New Zealand favoured to finish ahead of 36th-ranked Philippines and 79th-ranked Guam.
They are away to winless Guam in Mangilao on Sunday, although will field a weakened team, with some Tall Blacks players having committed to link up with their professional clubs immediately after the Philippines game.
Forward Max Darling top scored for New Zealand with 11 points but Warriors centre Mennenga produced the best overall statistics, mixing 10 points with 14 rebounds – including five at the offensive end – four assists, one steal and one block.
Adelaide 36ers guard Keanu Rasmussen was handed a late appearance on international debut.
Judd Flavell Andrew Skinner/www.photosport.nz
Coach Judd Flavell was pleased his side emerged victorious in a defence-dominated affair.
“We came here to get the win, and we got the job done,” Flavell said.
“We knew it was gonna be a tough series against Australia in December. Both those games went down to the wire. We got beaten on a last-second bank shot three. There were plenty of positives, so the morale was very good.”
“The group is very connected. We’re not a big country, but that makes us stronger. Because we’re a small country we need to be together and play a connected style of basketball. And that’s the same off the court.”
Flavell said a key to victory was shutting down Philippines’ main scorer Justin Brownlee, who was held to just four points.
“He’s given us the business before and in recent games, so he was a large focal point for us. I thought that went a long way for us defensively tonight.
“It helps that we’ve played each other a lot and it obviously helps them with us too and our system. But we know he takes a lot of attention. He’s a true international scorer, so the intention was that we’ve just got to be within touching distance of him at all times.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
