Another Title For The Master
Tagged in: Kiwis Abroad, Tall Blacks
Tall Black coach Nenad Vucinic has further expanded his impressive CV by guiding underdogs Kalev Cramo to victory in the Estonian KML finals.
After a topsy turvy series that saw home advantage change three times, Kalev secured the national league crown with a 68-65 victory on their own floor over archrivals TU/Rock.
Kalev trailed early, but edged ahead midway through the second period and arrived at halftime with a 39-34 advantage.
The teams entered the final period locked at 52-52 and TU/Rock actually led with less than two minutes remaining, before Gregor Arbet and Nate Fox hit clutch baskets to clinch victory.
Kristjian Kangur led Kalev with 12 points, while former NBL Most Valuable Player Josh Pace finished with four points, three rebounds and a steal in 14 minutes.
Kalev had earlier lost to their rivals in the Baltic League quarterfinals and finished the Estonian regular season with a 23-5 record, second behind TU’s 26-2.
Vucinic, the winningest coach in NBL history, stepped down from the Nelson Giants job after claiming the 2007 title and will return to New Zealand later this month to prepare the Tall Blacks for the FIBA Oceania Championships in August.
In Australia, Tall Ferns point guard Angela Marino scored 23 points (6/13 FG, 3/9 3pt, 8/10 FT) to go with seven rebounds, five assists and two steals in 39 minutes, helping her Sturt Sabres to a 65-64 home win over the Norwood Flames in round nine of the Central ABL on Saturday. The Sabres are now sixth at 5-4.
Former secondary schools MVP Shannon Proffit had a near quadruple-double, with 11 points (5/10 FG, 1/2 3pt), nine boards, seven assists and seven steals in 38 minutes in the Maroochydore Lady Clippers 85-76 home loss to the Gold Coast Gliders in round six of the Queensland Basketball League on Saturday, dropping them to fourth at 5-3.
Tall Fern Natalie Purcell produced two strong performances as her Northside Wizards went 2-0 in round six in the Sunshine State, beating the South West Metro Pirates 69-64 at home on Saturday and the Gliders 72-64 on the road on Sunday.
Purcell racked up a double-double with 26 points (9/19 FG, 3/7 3pt, 5/7 FT), 12 rebounds, a steal and block in 45 minutes in the home win, and 14 points (5/11 FG, 4/6 3pt), four rebounds, three assists and block in 30 minutes in the road victory, boosting the Wizards to 11th at 3-4.
Staying in Queensland, Meehl brothers, Zeke and Zane, combined for 37 points but their Maroochydore Clippers fell hard 130-98 at home to former Otago Nugget Shaun Tilby and the Gold Coast Goannas on Saturday.
Tilby had 15 points (7/13 FG, 1/3 3pt), six rebounds, five assists and five steals in 35 minutes for the Gliders, who ended the weekend sixth at 5-3. Tilby also had 11 points (4/8 FG, 1/1 3pt, 2/2 FT), three steals, two assists and two rebounds in 29 minutes in a 143-116 home loss to the Northside Wizards on Sunday.
Zeke Meehl scored 23 points (8/10 FG, 5/6 3pt, 2/2 FT) with three steals, an assist and rebound in 24 minutes, while older brother Zane Meehl had 14 points (4/8 FG, 0/1 3pt, 6/7 FT), nine assists, four boards, a steal and block in 30 minutes in the loss to the Gold Coast.
Former BBNZ high performance coach Leonard King saw his Mackay Meteors went 2-0 in round six to be fourth at 7-2.
In the South East Australia Basketball League (SEABL), Tall Ferns Lisa Wallbutton produced another double-double but could not prevent her Albury-Wodonga Lady Bandits falling 64-59 at home to the Brisbane Spartans in round 12 on Friday.
National team-mate Toni Edmondson had four points (2/10 FG, 0/2 3pt, 0/2 FT), four boards, three assists, two blocks and a steal in 40 minutes for Albury, who dropped out of the top-six, now seventh at 4-6.
Tania Kerr went scoreless but provided two assists and a block in 10 minutes as the Kilsyth Lady Cobras defeated the Spartans, in the third game of their road-trip, 65-64 on Sunday, lifting the defending SEABL champs to fourth with a 7-5 record.
