Basketball New Zealand

Tall Blacks centre Craig Bradshaw averaged just under 10 points per game in Spain's LEB Gold (Photosport)

Tall Blacks centre Craig Bradshaw played a minimal role in his Spanish second division club’s regular season finale on Sunday but could see more action come playoff time.

Bradshaw went scoreless (0/1 FG) with two assists in nine minutes on-court as Grupo Begar Leon defeated Burgos 76-62 on the road in round 34 of the LEB Gold, boosting Leon into the ACB promotion playoffs.

Leon, who finished eighth at 18-16 in a four-way tie, will meet number-three Club Melilla Baloncesto in their best-of-three quarterfinal series, starting Wednesday (NZ time) in Melilla.

Bradshaw, who has played 70 games in five seasons for the New Zealand national team, averaged 9.8 points and 5.1 rebounds in 32 regular season games for Leon, while shooting 51 percent from the field.

Tall Blacks head coach Nenad Vucinic saw his BC Kalev/Cramo club start the best-of-seven Estonian KML championship series with an 82-78 road loss to TU/Rock on Sunday.

Game two is scheduled for Wednesday (NZ time) in Tartu, where the Tall Blacks will play Estonia on July 22-23, before the series shifts to Kalev’s home floor in Tallinn for game three on Friday.

In Australia, three members of the Meehl family helped the Maroochydore Clippers end a 23-game, almost two-year, losing streak with back-to-back wins in round four of the Queensland Basketball League (QBL).

Zane Meehl, a former Emerging Tall Black, had 14 points (3/8 FG, 0/2 3pt, 8/9 FT), two rebounds and two assists, while younger brother Zeke Meehl contributed six points (2/4 FG, 2/4 3pt) and two boards in 11 minutes in the 100-92 road win over the South West Metro Pirates on Saturday for father Warrick Meehl, a former Tall Black.

The Meehls and Clippers backed it up on Sunday, with a 124-87 home rout of the Toowoomba Mountaineers, with Zane going for 14 points (6/10 FG, 1/2 3pt, 1/1 FT), eight assists and five rebounds in 23 minutes and Zeke five points (1/5 FG, 0/3 3pt, 3/6 FT), five boards, two assists and a steal in 17 minutes.

Before Saturday, the Clippers (2-3, ninth) had not won since a win over the Mackay Meteors in round 14 of the 2007 regular season, a period of 21 months, including a winless 0-18 season in 2008.

Former Otago Nuggets guard Shaun Tilby managed two points (1/6 FG, 0/3 3pt), seven assists, six rebounds and four steals in 24 minutes, helping the Gold Coast Goannas to a 123-97 home win over the Ipswich Force in the QBL on Sunday, lifting them to sixth at 3-2.

Sticking with the Sunshine State, former national secondary schools MVP Shannon Proffit filled her stat-line as the Lady Clippers (4-1, second) also went 2-0 in round four.

Proffit posted six points (3/9 FG, 0/1 3pt, 0/1 FT), 17 rebounds, four assists and four steals in 38 minutes in an 85-83 road win over the SW Metro Pirates on Saturday, then provided eight points (1/1 FG, 6/7 FT), 10 boards, four steals and two assists in 21 minutes in a 97-41 home whooping of the Mountaineers on Sunday.

In the South East Australia Basketball League (SEABL), Tall Ferns Lisa Wallbutton and Toni Edmondson combined for 34 points and 27 rebounds, guiding the Albury-Wodonga Lady Bandits to a 71-64 road win over Nunawading on Sunday in round 10.

Wallbutton had 16 points (6/13 FG, 2/3 3pt, 2/4 FT) and a season-high 20 rebounds to go with four assists in 40 minutes, while Edmondson scored a game-high 18 points (6/10 FG, 6/9 FT), seven boards, two steals, an assist and block in 35 minutes.

The Lady Bandits, coached by Tall Ferns video technician Ken Hamilton, improved to fourth at 4-4.

Kerr sisters, Gemma and Tania, helped the Kilsyth Lady Cobras to an 85-76 road win over Launceston on Sunday in the SEABL. Gemma Kerr had a point (0/7 FG, 0/3 3pt, 1/2 FT), six assists, two rebounds and a steal in 25 minutes while Tania Kerr had a rebound and assist in four minutes for Kilsyth, who lifted to seventh at 4-5 with the win.

In the Big V, former Tall Ferns guard Lisa Pardon went for 16 points (7/15 FG, 2/7 3pt), three boards, three assists and two steals in 38 minutes but could not prevent her Bulleen Boomers falling 91-68 at home to competition leaders Hume City in round eight on Saturday. Bulleen sits third at 6-3.

Former Waikato junior Te Puao Silver accumulated four points (2/3 FG, 0/2 FT), four assists, a steal and rebound in 13 minutes of action for Melbourne (9-1, second) in their 111-70 home win over Eltham in round eight of the Big V Youth League on Saturday.