Basketball New Zealand

Basketball New Zealand

New Zealand teams will have to settle for third-fourth playoffs on the final day of the Australian Youth Olympic Festival basketball tournament in Sydney after losses to China on Friday.

Following their 21-point win over Japan on Thursday, the under-18 men fell 90-54 to China at the Sydney Uni Sports and Aquatic Centre to finish 1-2 and miss out on a rematch against Australia in the gold medal game.

Instead the junior men, led by 16 points from Canterbury product Ethan Rusbatch against the heighty Chinese, will meet Japan for the bronze medal.

Rusbatch made 7-of-16 from the field, including 2-of-8 on three-point attempts, to go with three steals, two rebounds and two assists but the New Zealanders struggled against the formidable Chinese forward line, getting dominated 46-24 in points in the paint despite holding their own in the rebounding stakes 53-47, and having 13 shots blocked.

Australia-based Max Williams finished with nine points (3/8 FG, 3/6 3pt) and 11 rebounds, a number matched by Tepasu Thomas, as the Kiwis shot just 28 percent from the floor and 26 percent on long-range shots. China’s shooting numbers were not overwhelmingly better but did force New Zealand into 30 turnovers.

Like their big loss to the hosts on Wednesday, a single-digit first quarter against put New Zealand in a big hole.

The Kiwis led 4-2 in the first minute but it was short-lived. After scores sat level at 6-6, the Chinese rattled off 21 straight points in the first quarter, part of a larger 29-0 run as New Zealand did not score until the 6:05 mark of the second period, a drought of more than 10 minutes.

However, after trailing by 29 points at halftime after an 18-10 second quarter, the Kiwis were able to make something of the second half, losing by seven points.

Hutt Valley’s Shiana-Rose Harris was the only scorer in double figures with 10 points (2/12 FG, 2/8 3pt, 4/4 FT) as the New Zealand under-18 women dropped their third straight game, 85-51 to China, who they will meet again on Saturday for the bronze.

The Kiwi women were not out of the game, down 13 at halftime, but a 22-9 third period, where China went on a 15-4 run to end the quarter, put the result beyond doubt.

Jasana Salmon scored seven points and pulled down five rebounds, with Kate Alemann getting a half-dozen points and rebounds, and Otago’s Samara Gallaher scoring six points, to go with three boards and three steals.

Like in the men’s game, China dominated the interior, out-scoring New Zealand 44-14 in the paint and winning the rebounding edge 46-32. New Zealand were let down by their shooting, going at 23 percent from the field and 21 percent on three balls, while turning the ball over 25 times.

The women start the final day’s play at 3pm against China, followed by the men’s bronze playoff between New Zealand and Japan at 5pm (both NZ times).

Australian Youth Olympic Festival

Sydney Uni Sports & Aquatic Centre

Friday, January 16

Men
China 90 (Shang Gao 26, Zhiming Shan 15, Mingxin Ju 15, Hongfei Shi 12) New Zealand 54 (Ethan Rusbatch 16)
New Zealand vs China Under-18 Men Box Score

Women
China 85 (Dong Yu 12, Dongxue Zhang 12, Mengran Sun 11, Wen Wen Zhang 11) New Zealand 51 (Shiana-Rose Harris 10)
New Zealand vs China Under-18 Women Box Score