Basketball New Zealand

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“Four mad minutes” transformed the NZ Tall Ferns’ encounter with the Czech Republic from a contest to a rout as they fell 51-72 in Zlin last night.

In the first of two meetings, the Kiwis were always on the back foot, but still hung on grimly just five points down midway through the second quarter. By halftime, the difference was 15 as the hosts unleashed an 18-8 run that carried them clear for good.

“I’m not saying we could have beaten them,” concedes Ferns coach Mike McHugh. “But if we had kept the pressure on, who knows.

“It wasn’t a lack of effort … that is never a problem with this team. But sometimes our basketball intelligence is not good and that is just inexperience.

“When a pro team like the Czechs step it up, it’s easy to become their whipping boys.”

McHugh lit a fire under his players at the break and they kept the second half to a manageable 31-25 margin.

“If we had produced two halves like that, it would have been a respectable result for this New Zealand team.”

While ranked only ninth in the world, still seven spots higher than the Ferns, the Czech Republic have long been regarded as one of the rising powers in women’s basketball. Many of the national team play together with the Gambrinus Brno club that finished runners-up to the Lauren Jackson-inspired Spartak Moscow in Euroleague competition.

Their treatment of the plucky Kiwis was clinical. None of the Tall Ferns scored in double figures … guard Micaela Cocks led the offence with nine points.

“When we get three people in double figures, we score 65-70 points and we’re in the game,” observes McHugh. “When we don’t, we struggle.”

New Zealand shot 35% FG, only 25% from the arc, but the biggest difference came at the charity stripe, where they converted 9/12 compared to the Czechs’ 23/32.

“We put them on the line too much and the referees supported their efforts to get there,” claims McHugh. “On the other hand, you could also say we didn’t give the referees enough opportunities to help us because we didn’t go to the basket enough.”

There were moments of hope. The Ferns can take pride in an even rebound count that included 11 offensive boards against one of the tallest line-ups in the women’s game.

The Kiwis get another crack at the Czechs tonight in Luhacovice, the final game of their European tour.

“So we’ve played against them now and know what they’re like,” says McHugh. “They’re all 6ft 5 beauty queens who can shoot the three … what are we going to do about it?”

NZ Tall Ferns In Europe

Wednesday, June 4
Zlin, Czech Republic
Czech Republic 72 NZ Tall Ferns 51 (Micaela Cocks 9)
Q 16-9
HT 41-26 (25-17)
3Q 57-40 (16-14)
FT 72-51 (15-11)