Anthony “Heiss Wie Frittenfett”
Tagged in: Tall Blacks
Averaging almost a double-double, Harbour forward BJ Anthony has made an impressive start to his first professional contract in Germany.
Anthony, who came off the bench for the Harbour Heat in the 2008 National Basketball League, has averaged 12.8 points and 7.8 rebounds in four games for Herzoge Wolfenbuttel in the German Bundesliga division two pro B.
The 1.98m forward posted his first double-double of the season on Sunday, with 14 points (6/11 FG, 0/1 3pt, 2/2 FT), 10 rebounds, three steals, two blocks and an assist in just 20 minutes in a 108-82 rout of TSV Breitengussbach, as Wolfenbuttel improved to 4-0, winning by an average 17.8 points per game.
Anthony has scored in double figures in all four wins and pulled down at least six rebounds in each game, while averaging 54.8 percent from the field.
He went for 12 points (5/10 FG, 2/3 FT), nine boards, four assists and a steal in 27 minutes in his regular season debut, an 89-74 win over BIS Baskets Speyer, then had 14 points (7/9 FG, 0/1 3pt, 0/1 FT), six rebounds, an assist and steal in 17 mintues in a 100-78 rout of USC Freiburg, and 11 points (5/11 FG, 1/4 FT), six boards and an assist in 27 minutes against P4two Ballers Osnabruck, 89-81.
Staying in Central Europe, former Tall Black Brendon Polyblank had 17 points (8/12 FG, 1/3 3pt), four assists, two rebounds and two blocks in 36 minutes as his Lausanne Baskets team improved to 2-1 with a 74-73 win over BC Starwings in round three of the Swiss Ligue Nationale de Basket on Sunday.
In Spain, Tall Blacks centre Craig Bradshaw posted six points (3/4 FG, 0/2 3pt), nine rebounds and a block in 33 minutes as his Grupo Begar Leon team got back into a winning groove, edging CB Villa De Los Barrios 63-61 to improve to 3-2 in the LEB Gold.
Leon fell behind after a 19-6 second quarter but stormed home, winning the fourth 24-14 to roll to victory on the road.
Tab Baldwin’s U Mobitelco Cluj-Napoca have a whole mountain range in front of them to progress to the second qualifying round in the EuroChallenge, Europe’s third-tier club competition, after a disastrous first game last week.
Cluj-Napoca fell 86-60 to Germany’s Ewe Baskets Oldenburg at home in Transylvania and will need to win by 27 points on the road in the return leg on Wednesday to reach the second round in Europe. Leon Henry had three assists and a steal in 19 minutes and Adrian Majstrovich three rebounds in seven minutes in the loss to Oldenburg.
It was better news for Baldwin, Henry and Majstrovich on the home front, as Cluj-Napoca rolled CS Dinamo Bucuresti 90-67 in round two of the Romanian Division A, staying unbeaten. Henry posted 12 points (5/10 FG, 1/4 3pt, 1/2 FT) and four rebounds in 17 minutes and Majstrovich two points (1/4 FG) and six rebounds in 15 minutes.
In Estonia, Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic guided BC Kalev/Cramo to a 93-71 win over Tallinna Kalev, with former NBL MVP Josh Pace scoring 10 points, and meet BC Rakvere Tarvas on Wednesday in round two of the Estonian KML.
Tall Ferns forward Lisa Wallbutton had two points as Dexia Namur beat St-Katelijne Waver 91-62 last Wednesday and completed a round two Belguim Division 1 sweep with a 74-60 win over Point Chaud Sprimont, improving to 3-0.
Nelson Giants guard Chris Daniel posted 10 points (4/7 FG, 2/3 3pt), three rebounds, three assists and a block in 23 minutes in the Singapore Slingers 86-81 home win over Chinese team Beijing Aoshen in Singapore on October 12.
Daniel has averaged 11.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 25.5 minutes per game in five games for the Slingers, who are 4-1 in their exhibition season, with the next game against the Malaysia All-Stars on November 5.
In Australia, Tall Blacks centre Nick Horvath has carried his pre-season form into the regular season, with back-to-back 17-point games in round five of the Australian NBL.
Horvath had 17 points (8/14 FG, 0/1 3pt, 1/2 FT), eight rebounds, three blocks and an assist in 26 minutes and national team-mate Mika Vukona two points (1/2 FG), eight rebounds, four assists and two steals in 35 minutes of the South Dragons 106-101 win over the Sydney Spirit on Wednesday.
He followed with 17 points (7/11 FG, 0/1 3pt, 3/6 FT), four rebounds and a block in 24 minutes and Vukona six points (3/6 FG, 0/1 FT), seven boards, two assists and a steal in 23 minutes of the Dragons 108-80 dumping of competition favourites, the Melbourne Tigers, on Saturday, raising South to 6-2.
Former Tall Black Tony Rampton managed three points (1/3 FG, 1/2 FT) and three rebounds in 11 minutes while recovering from a back injury and Kiwi-Aussie Luke Martin two assists and a rebound in seven minutes for the Spirit.
National team point guard Lindsay Tait dropped eight points (2/7 FG, 1/2 3pt, 3/3 FT), three rebounds, two assists and a steal in the Wollongong Hawks 105-95 win over Paora Winitana’s Adelaide 36ers on Friday. Winitana played 4 ½ minutes, his first action after missing three games with a foot injury.
Tait also had two points (1/3 FG), three assists and a rebound in the Hawks 89-77 loss to the Perth Wildcats to open round five.
Tall Blacks captain Pero Cameron and Kiwi team-mate Casey Frank continue to battle for their first win with the now 0-7 Gold Coast Blaze.
Frank had six points (2/5 FG, 0/1 3pt, 2/2 FT), five rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes and Cameron three points (1/4 FG, 1/3 3pt), three rebounds and an assist in 11 minutes in the Blaze’s 102-87 road loss to the Cairns Taipans on Saturday, two nights after a 120-108 loss to the NZ Breakers in Auckland.
Frank put up seven points (3/5 FG, 0/1 3pt, 1/2 FT), two rebounds and an assist in 19 minutes and Cameron four points (1/7 FG, 0/3 3pt, 2/2 FT), five rebounds, two assists and a steal in 20 minutes against their former club.
Sticking with the Great Southern Land, all five Kiwis in the Australian WNBL enjoyed wins in round three, with Angela Marino’s defending champion Adelaide Lightning and Aneka Kerr and Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe’s Townsville Fire both staying unbeaten.
Marino racked up 15 points (3/12 FG, 2/6 3pt, 7/8 FT), four assists and a steal in 29 minutes of Adelaide’s 93-76 win over the Perth Lynx on Sunday, while Kerr had six points (1/6 FG, 4/4 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and a block in 29 minutes and McMeeken-Ruscoe four points (2/2 FG) in 2 ½ minutes in the Fire’s 86-61 result over AIS.
Tall Ferns forward Natalie Purcell had seven points (2/9 FG, 1/5 3pt, 2/2 FT), eight boards and two steals in 28 minutes as the new girls, the Logan Thunder, improved to 2-2 with a 63-46 win over AIS.
Former Fern Lisa Pardon matched points with rebounds, going for six points (3/9 FG, 0/2 3pt), six rebounds and an assist in 25 minutes, helping the Bulleen Boomers to a 85-63 blow-out of the Lynx, moving them to 2-1.
