Marino Clutch
Tagged in: National Teams, Tall Ferns
Pint-sized point guard Angela Marino traveled the longest to get there, but still had enough left to guide her NZ Tall Ferns to a 63-55 victory over Angola in the opening game of their European tour.
Just 48 hours after their long-haul journeys to Madrid from various points around the globe, the Kiwis blew out the cobwebs against the third-ranked African nation, leading the contest after each quarter.
They led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, but had to hold off a determined comeback from their rivals, who got within a couple of points down the stretch. Marino had traveled 40 hours from Adelaide to join her team-mates, but provided the key plays that edged them clear at the finish.
“Marino continues to be the defining player in our team,” observed coach Mike McHugh. “She just finds ways to help us win.
“There was some pressure on us to close out this game before she drew some fouls and got to the free throw line. Last month, in Beijing, that was something we had trouble doing, so this is another step up towards being ready for the Olympics.”
The encounter – and another against the same opponents next Monday – holds the key to New Zealand’s must-win pool game against Mali at the Beijing Olympics. It presented a rare opportunity to experience a distinct African style of play.
“The Angolans ran around at frenetic pace,” says McHugh. “They don’t have a high level of skill, but they are very athletic and very strong.
“They just bully you … it was good for us to absorb that type of game and come away with a win.
“Our goal was to keep them below 60 points, which we achieved, so I was quite pleased with our defensive effort. But we didn’t execute plays well enough … we just weren’t able to finish off as well as we would have liked.”
Marino (3/7 3pt) and forward Jillian Harmon (7/10 FG) led the scoring with 14 points each, Harmon adding nine rebounds. As a team, the Ferns forced Angola into 23 turnovers and converted 70% (17/24) from the line, but had difficulty scoring around the basket.
“It was a good game to blow the cobwebs out of the system, but we expect a much more polished showing in our next game,” says captain Aneka Kerr.
The Kiwis now fly to Valencia for a daunting match-up against European Championship runners-up Spain, ranked fifth in the world, who defeated Angola by 30 two nights ago.
“Spain are a juggernaut,” says McHugh. “But that’s what we are here for and they could very well be in our pool at the Olympics.”
NZ Tall Ferns In Europe
Madrid
Wednesday, May 28
NZ Tall Ferns 63 (Angela Marino 14, Jillian Harmon 14) Angola 55 (Nassecela Mauricio 13, Angela Cardoso 11)
Q 13-10
HT 29-23 (16-13)
3Q 46-43 (17-20)
FT 63-55 (17-12)
