Basketball New Zealand

Basketball New Zealand

The New Zealand men narrowly missed ending their tournament with a win on the final day of the Australia Under-18 National Championships in Ballarat, Victoria, on Saturday.

A fourth quarter comeback fell short as the Kiwi men went down 76-73 to Victoria Country to finish eighth, while the New Zealand women’s team ended 10th after a 79-52 loss to Queensland North on Saturday.

Guard Winston Li top-scored with 16 points, adding eight rebounds and four assists, while Tom Rowe and Jake Ashby both produced 11-point and 12-rebound double-doubles, with Ashby adding four assists, and Hayden Miller finished with 12 points.

NZ trailed throughout, down seven after the first quarter, but were able to close within four at halftime. While out-scoring Vic Country by three, the Kiwis shot 7-of-30 from the field in the final period, ending the tournament 2-6.

Natasha Hall top-scored with 12 points and eight rebounds as the Kiwi women also finished at 2-6. Mesha Blair had 11 points and eight rebounds, Jasmine Davis 10 points and five rebouns, and Hannah Mackay nine points and eight rebounds for NZ, who trailed by nine points after the first and could not pull any closer.