Basketball New Zealand

Tall Blacks forward Ben Hill has averaged 32.7 points and 12.7 rebounds in his first three games in Iceland (Photosport)

Tall Blacks forward Ben Hill is already making a habit of double-doubles in Iceland this season.

Hill produced 26 points and a season-high 14 rebounds, along with two steals and an assist as his Hottur team went down 98-78 to front-runners Fjolnir in round three of the Iceland division one league on Saturday.

The 1.96m Son of Stan went 9-of-20 from the floor, including six three-balls from 10 attempts, also picking off two steals and an assist while playing every minute.

Hill, who has made the transfer from the Waikato Pistons to the Manawatu Jets for the 2009 National Basketball League season, has averaged 32.7 points and 12.7 boards per game as Hottur have gone 1-2, ranking him fifth and first in the league.

In his second season with Hottur, Hill had a season-high 41 points, to go with 12 rebounds, six assists and four steals, and shot 15-of-17 from the field and perfect from the foul-line in Hottur’s 89-85 win over UMFH last week.

Tall Ferns forward Lisa Wallbutton remained unbeaten in Belguim as her Dexia Namur club posted domestic league and Women’s EuroCup wins in the last week.

Wallbutton had four points (2/4 FG), four rebounds and a block in 13 minutes in Dexia’s 95-43 win over DBC Houthalen on Sunday, improving them to 4-0 in Belguim women’s division one.

The Beijing Olympics standout went scoreless (0/2 FG) with three rebounds and a steal in six minutes of action in Dexia’s 88-58 win over BC Star in Tallinn, Estonia, in game one of the EuroCup preliminary round on Thursday. Dexia next face Botas Spor of Turkey in game two on Thursday.

Former Tall Blacks coach Tab Baldwin, Wellington Saint Leon Henry and Auckland Star Adrian Majstrovich were eliminated from European competition in Germany on Tuesday, as U Mobitelco Cluj-Napoca fell 77-72 to Ewe Baskets Oldenburg in game two of their EuroChallenge first qualifying round, losing the two-game series 2-0 (163-132).

Henry had two points (1/1 FG, 0/1 3pt), two rebounds and a steal in 14 minutes and Majstrovich two points (1/1 FG) in seven minutes of game time for Cluj-Napoca, who have started the Romanian season 2-0.

Current Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic guided his BC Kalev/Cramo club to a tense 68-67 win over BC Rakvere Tarvas on Tuesday, improving to 3-0 and first in the Estonian KML, but have bigger things ahead on Saturday, looking to end a three-game losing streak in the Baltic Basketball League against Valmiera of Latvia.

Tall Blacks centre Craig Bradshaw produced 11 points (5/7 FG, 1/2 FT), six rebounds and two blocks in 24 minutes as Grupo Begar Leon used a 23-7 first quarter to roll to an 88-59 home win over Ciudad de la Laguna Canarias on Saturday, improving to 4-2 and third in the Spanish LEB Gold.

In Germany, ex Junior Tall Black BJ Anthony had 14 points (4/6 FG, 6/11 FT), three rebounds and two steals in 16 minutes but his Herzoge Wolfenbuttel team suffered their first defeat of the Bundesliga division two pro B season, losing 84-69 to Hertener Lowen.

Across the ditch, Tall Ferns point guard Angela Marino put together back-to-back games in the high-teens for points as the defending Women’s National Basketball League champion Adelaide Lightning split their road double-header in Victoria.

Marino had 18 points (4/9 FG, 1/4 3pt, 9/11 FT), four rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes in Adelaide’s 80-66 win over Dandenong on Friday.

She then backed it up with 19 points (6/14 FG, 5/8 3pt, 2/2 FT), six rebounds and an assist in 37 minutes but the Lightning suffered their first defeat, losing 86-84 to the Bulleen Boomers, who got three points (1/7 FG, 0/5 3pt, 1/2 FT), two rebounds, an assist and steal in 24 minutes from former Tall Fern Lisa Pardon.

That leaves Tall Ferns captain Aneka Kerr, shooting guard Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe and the Townsville Fire as the sole remaining unbeaten in the WNBL, following a 97-58 win over the Sydney Flames on Friday.

Kerr dropped seven points (3/5 FG, 1/1 FT), five rebounds, five assists and two steals in 21 minutes, while McMeeken-Ruscoe came off the bench for five points (2/3 FG, 1/1 3pt) and a rebound in eight minutes as the Fire improved to 3-0.

The 15 points (5/9 FG, 4/6 3pt, 1/2 FT), five rebounds, two steals and assist in 34 minutes from Tall Ferns forward Natalie Purcell could not prevent the Logan Thunder falling 83-82 to Sydney at home on Saturday, dropping the newcomers to 2-3.

In the men’s Australian National Basketball League, Tall Blacks forward Mika Vukona produced seven points (3/6 FG, 1/2 FT), nine rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes as the Nick Horvath-less South Dragons pounded the previously-leading Cairns Taipans 94-65 on Saturday night at home.

Horvath, who had been averaging double-digits points for the Dragons, injured his wrist at training last week and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks.

Former Tall Black Casey Frank continues to put up healthy numbers but the Gold Coast Blaze continue to drop games in the ANBL.

Frank had five points (2/5 FG, 0/1 3pt, 1/2 FT), eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal in 26 minutes in the Blaze’s 98-96 loss to Lindsay Tait’s Wollongong Hawks on the road on Friday, then followed it with 18 points (8/13 FG, 1/4 3pt, 1/1 FT), six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 29 minutes in the 116-113 home loss to the New Zealand Breakers on Saturday.

In the same games, Tall Blacks captain Pero Cameron put up 12 points (4/6 FG, 2/4 3pt, 2/2 FT), three rebounds and three assists in 12 minutes against the Hawks and 10 points (3/3 FG, 2/2 3pt, 2/2 FT) and four rebounds in 14 minutes against the Breakers, as the Blaze fell to 0-9.

Tait amassed five points (1/3 FG, 0/1 3pt, 3/4 FT), three rebounds, an assist and steal in 17 minutes against the Blaze and eight points (4/8 FG), two rebounds and two assists in 28 minutes in Wollongong’s 99-86 loss to the Sydney Spirit on Sunday, dipping the Hawks to 4-5.

Former Tall Black Tony Rampton, still recovering from a back injury, had three points (1/2 FG, 1/2 FT) and three rebounds in 10 minutes for the Spirit against the Hawks, while the big man went pointless with two rebounds in 10 minutes in a 103-101 loss to the Townsville Crocodiles on Wednesday.

Paora Winitana, a national team guard in 2008, could not help the Adelaide 36ers back to winning form, with two points (1/6 FG, 0/3 3pt), two rebounds and an assist in 24 minutes in a 104-93 home loss to the Perth Wildcats on Saturday.