Basketball New Zealand

Basketball New Zealand

The New Zealand boys finished sixth and the girls team 13th at the Australia Under-16 National Championships in Kalamunda, Western Australia, on Saturday.

Alonzo Burton and Kirk Rangiawha shared top-score with 15 points and five rebounds each, while Michael Karena added a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double as the Kiwis fell 84-80 to Queensland South in the fifth-sixth playoff.

Magnus Holding added 13 points, six rebounds and five assists while Tim Wyatt had 10 points and six assists as NZ fell behind with a disappointing 24-17 third period and could not overcome the deficit in the fourth.

NZ, who defeated New South Wales Country 95-86 on Friday, with Elliot Noble scoring 16 points, Holding and Rangiawha 15 points and Karena 12 points and 11 rebounds, won the rebounding contest against Queensland South but dropped just 7-of-25 three-point attempts and turned the ball over 27 times.

The Kiwi girls avoided last place and celebrated their first win of the tournament in their final game, a 76-57 win over Northern Territory.

NZ led by 31 points at halftime and cruised home despite losing the second half by 12 points, with Aleesha Coulter top-scoring with 24 points, seven rebounds and four steals, while Moengaroa Subritzsky had 12 points, Shannon Perrett 10 points and eight rebounds and Josie Stockill six points and eight rebounds.