Basketball New Zealand

Mika Vukona (Dave Lintott)

A handful of Tall Blacks played cameos as Gold Coast Blaze edged Cairns Taipans 69-68 for their fourth straight win in the Australian NBL.

Forward Mika Vukona had nine points (4/5 FG, 1/2 FT), but zero rebounds in 21 minutes for the winners. Casey Frank had two points and two rebounds, while Pero Cameron had two rebounds as the Blaze improved their record to 8-6 for the season and grabbed third spot on the competition table.

For Cairns, veteran shooter and captain Phill Jones had eight points (3/9 FG, 2/2 FT) and four rebounds in 26 minutes as the Snakes fell to 6-11.

The hosts trailed by as many as nine points down the stretch, but rallied behind a favourable foul count and finally snatched the lead on a pair of free throws from guard Adam Gibson with 20 seconds remaining.

Former Tall Fern captain Aneka Davis continued her outstanding form in the Australian WNBL, compiling yet another double-double for Townsville Fire in a 79-71 home victory over Adelaide Lightning.

Davis’ 18 points/15 rebounds included a rare trey and led her team in scoring as they improved their record to 8-3. It was her sixth double-double of a season in which she is averaging 16.7 points and a league-leading 10.5 rebounds.

For Adelaide, Ferns point guard Angela Marino was held to 10 points (3/10 FG, 4/6 FT), four assists and two rebounds, but found her stroke two days later to help the Lightning overcome Logan Thunder 79-74 on the road.

She led all scorers with 22 points (6/11 FG, 5/10 3pt, 5/6 FT), five rebounds, four assists and a steal in 34 minutes as Adelaide improved to 8-6 for the season.

For Logan, Kiwi Natalie Purcell had 10 points (4/15 FG, 1/6 3pt, 1/4 FT), six rebounds, an assist and a block in 34 minutes, while guard Suzie Bates had four points (1/4 FG, 2/2 FT), five rebounds and an assist in 16 minutes. The Thunder are now 5-7.

Jess McCormack, Toni Edmondson and Lisa Pardon also experienced success with Canberra Capitals, Dandenong Rangers and Bulleen Boomers.

Edmondson, who starred for the Tall Ferns against Australian at this year’s FIBA Oceania Championship, had the best performance, compiling 12 points (4/9 FG, 1/2 3pt, 3/5 FT), two rebounds and two assists for the Rangers in a 112-66 runaway win over Perth. Seven Dandenong players scored in double figures as they improved to 4-7 for the season.

Bulleen still top the table with an 11-1 record.

In Europe, Tall Black coach Nenad Vucinic and his Kalev Cramo team posted their fourth win of the Estonian KML season, overwhelming crosstown rivals Tallinna Kalev 104-68. Cramo dominated virtually every statistical category, shooting 52% FG (including 11/26 3pt), as import Charron Fisher led all scorers with 25 points/15 rebounds. The defending champions are now 4-3.

Meanwhile, former TB coach Tab Baldwin watched his Kepez Bld Antalya club fall 73-76 to Turk Telekom in the Turkish Basketball League, dropping to 3-6 for the season.

Brendon Polyblank’s Fribourg side continue to set the pace in the Swiss LNA, defeating cellar dwellers MGS 79-75 midweek. The Saints forward contributed a quiet seven points (2/4 FG, 3/5 FT), five rebounds and a steal as they improved to 11-1 for the season.

In US college basketball, Tall Fern guard Micaela Cocks continued to drive her University of Oregon Ducks to their best start in three years, inflicting an 88-61 loss on Boise State.

Cocks is the only UO player to score double figures in every game this season and has now hit a trey in 24 successive games. She contributed 11 points (5/13 FG, 1/5 3pt), four assists, three rebounds and a steal in 28 minutes as Oregon improved to 7-1.

Midweek, they accounted for University of Portland 95-68 with Cocks chipping in 12 points (5/12 FG, 2/3 3pt), four assists and three steals.

Fern forward Rebecca Dew and the University of Hawaii enjoyed a 2-1 week with wins over San Francisco and BYU-Hawaii, but slumped 44-81 to Brigham Young University in their third game in as many days.

Dew had her best showing against SF with eight points (4/5 FG) and seven rebounds in 29 minutes. She also had seven points (2/5 FG, 3/4 FT), seven rebounds, three steals and an assist in 19 minutes against BYU-Hawaii.

The Wahine are now 3-5 for the season.

Ferns centre Kim Barnes also provided a defensive presence as UC Irvine stole a 60-59 home victory over University of Seattle, jus their second win over the season.

Barnes had eight points (4/9 FG), seven rebounds, three steals and a block in 30 minutes as the Anteaters improved to 2-8.

Midweek, they had dropped a 63-60 heartbreaker to Fresno State with Barnes contributing 10 points (2/5 FG, 6/11 FT) and eight rebounds in 31 minutes.

Wellington forward Sonya Milford helped Mineral Area College to a three-game sweep of the Vincennes Classic, improving their record to 8-3 for the season, while Junior Tall Black captain Dion Prewster and his San Jacinto College fell to their first loss of the season, 76-80 to Lee College.

Prewster is averaging a double-double with 11.8 points (57.9% FG, 39.1% 3pt, 66.7% FT), 11.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.0 steals.

Meanwhile, JTB team-mate Brook Ruscoe has returned home from Moberley Area Community College for treatment to a hip injury.

At Bethel Christian Academy, Cantabrian James Holland led his team with 30 points (10/26 FG, 10/11 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in a 55-40 win over Heritage Christian. BCA are 11-3 for the season.