Basketball New Zealand

Tall Ferns guard Micaela Cocks averaged 15 points per game in Oregon's back-to-back wins

Tall Ferns guard Micaela Cocks produced two double-digit socring games to help her University of Oregon women’s team get back on track with back-to-back wins last week.

Cocks produced 19 points (5/13 FG, 3/4 3pt, 6/7 FT), four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 34 minutes as the Ducks rolled the Washington Huskies, Tall Ferns centre Jess McCormack’s former team, 75-55 in Seattle on Thursday.

The ex-Harbour junior then had 11 points (4/9 FG, 1/4 3pt, 2/2 FT), three assists, two steals and board in 35 minutes as Oregon beat fellow Harbour guard Kezia Kelly and Washington State on Saturday.

The pair of wins got the Ducks back within one game of an even record, improving to 4-2 in the Pac-10.

Kelly finished the game scoreless (0/1 FG, 0/1 3pt) and a rebound in four minutes against Oregon, following another scoreless outing (0/1 FG) with a rebound in a 65-52 win over Oregon State on Thursday, the Cougars first conference win getting them back to 8-8.

Tall Ferns forward Jilliam Harmon and the ninth-ranked Stanford Cardinal fell off the top of the Pac-10 conference last week, falling 57-54 at California on Saturday in the “Battle of the Bay”.

Harmon had eight points (3/12 FG, 1/3 3pt, 1/2 FT), six rebounds, three assists and two steals in the full 40 minutes in the loss to the 11th-ranked Bears, their first loss of conference play, now sitting at 13-4.

South Aucklander Kim Barnes put up three points (1/5 FG, 1/3 FT), seven rebounds, two blocks, an assist and steal in 33 minutes in UC-Irvine’s 68-56 road loss to UC-Davis on Saturday, following on from her two points (1/2 FG) and three rebound effort in 25 minutes in a 61-37 road loss to the Pacific Tigers on Thursday. The Anteaters sit 3-15 on the season, 0-5 in the Big West.

Out into the Pacific, Harbour centre Rebecca Dew went point-less (0/1 FG) with a rebound in four minutes of court-time in Hawaii’s 69-50 home loss to Nevada on Saturday, falling to 3-14 and 0-4 in the WAC.

Hailey Purcell and the Tennesse-Martin Skyhawks also continue to struggle in the Ohio Valley Conference, losing twice last week to drop to 2-15 for the year and 0-7 in conference.

Purcell went scoreless in both games, grabbing five rebounds and two assists in 14 minutes in a 63-56 road loss to Tennessee Tech on Thursday, and playing 16 minutes in a 55-49 road defeat against Jacksonville State on Saturday.

Waikato product Alana Auld suffered a similar fate in NCAA division two action, as her Ohio Valley Lady Fighting Scots dropped a home double-header last week.

Auld scored 10 points (3/10 FG, 0/5 3pt, 4/4 FT) with four boards, four steals and an assist in 29 minutes in a 77-69 loss to West Virginia State on Thursday, and had nine points (4/15 FG, 1/5 3pt, 0/1 FT), three assists, two rebounds and a steal in 29 minutes in a 64-45 defeat at the hands of the University of Charleston on Saturday.

Canterbury’s Mandy Caldwell had zero points (0/2 FG) and a rebound in four minutes of Florida Southern’s 85-63 home win over Flagler University on Saturday, getting the Mocs to 13-3, 4-2 in the Sunshine State Conference.

Harbour guard Amanda Harris suffered two road losses with Alderson-Broaddus College last week, seeing the Lady Battlers drop to 6-8 overall, while in NCAA division three, Pina Lissaman and Warrick Wood, both assistants, saw their Rose-Hulman Tech squad drop two games last week, the Lady Engineers slipping to 4-10 for the sesason and 2-6 in conference play.

In NAIA play, Canterbury’s Donna Lavea produced a double-double with 12 points (6/12 FG, 0/1 FT), 10 rebounds, four steals and a block in 12 minutes in Lambuth’s 65-41 road win over Cumberland on Thursday.

Lavea also had nine points (4/7 FG, 1/4 FT), six rebounds and two steals in 16 minutes in a 78-64 win over Martin Methodist College on Monday.

In the Australian Women’s National Basketball League, Tall Ferns point guard Angela Marino racked up 16 points (2/8 FG, 1/4 3pt, 11/12 FT), four rebounds, three assists and a steal in 28 minutes as her Adelaide Lightning got the better of national team-mates Aneka Kerr, Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe and the Townsville Fire 78-73 in a top-three tilt in Adelaide on Friday.

The Lightning took over second from the Fire with the round 14 win, sitting at 12-3, while Townsville dropped to third at 13-4.

Kerr had 16 points (5/8 FG, 6/8 FT), five boards and a block in 21 minutes for Townsville, who completed their road double-header with a 100-66 romp over the Perth Lynx on Sunday.

Kerr managed six points (2/4 FG, 2/2 FT) with three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 15 minutes and McMeeken-Ruscoe three points (1/2 FG, 1/2 3pt) and four assists in 10 minutes against Perth.

Former Tall Fern Lisa Pardon produced eight points (3/4 FG, 2/3 3pt), two boards and a steal in 19 minutes as the Bulleen Boomers improved to 12-4 and fourth with an 88-85 home win over the Bendigo Spirit on Friday.

Tall Ferns forward Natalie Purcell and the Logan Thunder (4-13) ended a nine-game losing streak on Sunday with a 69-66 home win over the Sydney Flames, Purcell going for 12 points (3/8 FG, 3/7 3pt, 3/6 FT) and four rebounds in 33 minutes.

Former national teamer Adrianne Gilbert had two points (1/5 FG), a rebound and assist in 12 minutes for Sydney, who remained sixth at 7-9.