Basketball New Zealand

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NZ Tall Black Dillon Boucher (Photosport)

Tall Black forward Dillon Boucher was among the body count as defending champions Brisbane Bullets fell 95-105 to Perth Wildcats at home in the Australian Hummer NBL Championship.

Boucher suffered a groin injury after he was elbowed in the face by opponent Alex Laughton and fell to the ground. He could be out as long as six weeks, jeopardising his future involvement in the Bullets’ title defence.

Loughton will face the league judiciary for his actions.
Boucher had amassed four points (2/3 FG), eight rebounds (five OR), three assists and two steals in his 19 minutes on court, while Tall Black team-mate Craig Bradshaw had 15 points (6/13 FG, 3/5 3pt), six rebounds, an assist and a block in 35 minutes as a starter.

Brisbane are now 17-8 for the season, occupying third sport on the points table.

The following night, Gold Coast Blaze defeated Perth 88-84 at home with Kiwis Pero Cameron and Casey Frank contributing to the result.

Cameron had 12 points (5/8 FG, 2/4 3pt), five rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes off the bench, while Frank had 12 points (6/11 FG), seven rebounds and an assist before fouling out after 19 minutes as a starter.

Gold Coast are now 14-11 for the season, while Perth, who travel to the NZ Breakers this week, are 15-10.

Meanwhile, Kiwi guard Hayden Allen provided some instant offence off the bench for lowly Singapore Slingers in their latest loss, 82-115, to Melbourne Tigers.

Allen, who will captain Harbour Heat in this year’s Dominion Finance NBL, had 14 points (5/10 FG, 4/7 3pt) and two assists in his 16 minutes’ action as Singapore fell to 5-22 for the season.

In US college play, former Junior Tall Black Corey Webster came off the bench with five points (2/6 FG, 1/4 3pt), two rebounds and an assist to help Lambuth University break a two-game slump with a 104-91 win over Martin Methodist College.

The Eagles are now 15-3 for the season, 7-2 in the TranSouth Conference.

Emerging Tall Black Christopher Reay spearheaded his team’s rebound dominance as Midwestern State University overcame Abilene Christian 76-69.

Reay, who played for the Tall Blacks against Australia in 2004, hauled down 12 rebounds (six OR), along with nine points (4/8 FG, 1/1 FT) and a block in 27 minutes as a starter. The Mustangs improved to 9-9 for the season, 1-3 in Lone Star Conference play.

Emerging Tall Black Mada Abdelhamid had eight points (4/12 FG), nine rebounds and two assists in 29 minute as Houghton University lost 61-66 to Malone College, falling to 6-11 for the season.

Meanwhile, former Tall Black coach Tab Baldwin opened 2008 with a win as Univ Mobitelco defeated BCM Timisoara 80-69 in the Romanian Division A competition.

Mobitelco are now 9-5 for the season and 2-1 since Baldwin took over the reins last month.