Basketball New Zealand

Tall Blacks back-up centre Alex Pledger could be out five weeks after fracturing a bone in his right elbow (Photosport)

In the process of posting his first double-double of the season, Tall Blacks centre Alex Pledger also took himself out for the next month.

Pledger scored 15 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in less than a half in Belmont Abbey College’s 105-95 win over Mars Hill College but fractured a bone in his right elbow, which will see him sidelined most likely until at least the New Year.

The Hamilton native, the Tall Blacks back-up centre, had been a dominant figure in the game, shooting 6-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-5 free-throw attempts, along with four blocks in just 17 minutes before leaving the court.

The injury continues frustration for Pledger, who spent much of last season out of action at NCAA division one University of Missouri-Kansas City with an injury to the same elbow, before transferring to division two Belmont Abbey in the off-season.

Another Tall Blacks big man, Craig Bradshaw, stayed out of injury trouble and posted solid numbers in Spain on Saturday.

Bradshaw scored 18 points (7/12 FG, 1/1 3pt, 3/6 FT) and collected three rebounds and a block in 30 minutes for Grupo Begar Leon in a 75-64 home win over Union Baloncesto La Palma in round 10 of the LEB Gold, bumping Leon to 6-4 and fourth.

In Switzerland, former Tall Black Brendon Polyblank had 12 points (4/7 FG, 2/4 3pt, 2/2 FT), five rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block in 32 minutes in Lausanne Basket’s 80-57 win over MGS Grand-Saconnex on Saturday in round eight of the Swiss LNA, lifting Lausanne to 5-3.

Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic’s week with Estonian club BC Kalev/Cramo got off to a bad start but finished strongly on Tuesday.

Kalev fell 76-70 to defending champions TU/Rock in the Estonian KML last week, the club’s first domestic loss of the season, Former NBL MVP Josh Pace had 12 points as Kalev dropped to second at 8-1.

Two days later, Vucinic guided Kalev to a crucial Baltic league win, 66-62 over Latvia’s ASK Riga at home on Thursday, their second straight BBL win and third in the last four games, taking their record to 3-4. Finally, a game-winning jumper with four seconds remaining by Estonian international Tanel Sokk lifted Kalev to a 77-75 win over D Bank Skyliners in the first game of the EuroChallenge regular season on Tuesday.

In Romania, Wellington Saints forward Leon Henry scored 11 points (4/10 FG, 3/6 3pt, 0/2 FT) with four assists and two rebounds in 18 minutes for former Tall Blacks coach Tab Baldwin’s U Mobitelco Cluj-Napoca in a 79-77 win over CS Otopeni in round nine of Divizia A.

The win, coupled with Wednesday’s 89-69 win over BC Mures Targu Mures – with Henry going scoreless (0/1 3pt) with an assist in 11 minutes – helped Cluj-Napoca climb to fifth at 5-3 after a slow start.

In the Australian National Basketball League, Tall Blacks Nick Horvath and Mika Vukona played minor roles in the South Dragons 106-100 win over the Adelaide 36ers on Saturday, as they reacquired the league-lead from the NZ Breakers.

Horvath, in his second game back from a month lay-off, went point-less (0/1 FG), with two rebounds and an assist in 11 minutes, while Vukona had one point (1/2 FT), three rebounds and a steal in 13 minutes.

Tall Blacks guard Paora Winitana missed the game for Adelaide but had two points (1/2 FG) with a rebound in seven minutes for the 36ers in a 110-108 road loss to the Sydney Spirit on Friday, leaving them reeling at 5-9.

Former national team member Tony Rampton managed a point (0/1 FG, 1/4 FT), two assists and a rebound in 16 minutes for the Spirit, while Tall Blacks point guard Lindsay Tait contributed three points (0/1 FG, 3/4 FT), two assists and a rebound in eight minutes in the Wollongong Hawks 121-113 loss to the Townsville Crocodiles at The Swamp on Saturday, leaving them at 6-7 but still in the top-six.

National age-group rep James Holland continued his domination for Bethel Christian Academy in Kentucky, averaging more than 20 points for his high school varsity team.

Holland had point totals of 18, 16, 26, 18 and 22 in the last five games as the Blue Flames won the Nelson County Baptist Tournament with ease and improved to 13-1 for the season. In one of his most impressive games, Holland had 22 points (9/17 FG, 4/8 3pt), eight assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block in a 92-53 win over Fox Creek Christian on Thursday.

Harbour product Ryan Beesley produced 12 points (5/10 FG, 1/4 3pt, 1/2 FT), six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 13 minutes in a 119-72 win for Oregon Tech over Multnomah Bible College on Wednesday. He then went scoreless (0/7 FG, 0/4 3pt) with four boards, an assist and steal in 17 minutes in a 109-77 win over Bethany College on Friday, and got eight minutes of court-time in a 77-64 win over Lee University on Saturday.

Emerging Tall Black Zane Meehl provided five points (1/1 FG, 3/3 FT), a rebound and assist in 12 minutes in Azusa Pacific University’s 84-71 home win over Trevecca Nazarene on Thursday, two days after contributing an assist (0/1 FG) in 13 minutes in a 93-52 win over Grand Canyon College.

In Florida, Ben Constable scored four points (2/3 FG) with a board and assist in 12 minutes as his Northwood University Seahawks defeated College of Bahamas 98-57 at home in West Palm Beach on Thursday.

Former Junior Tall Black Rory Fannon received his most minutes this season, 17, and put up two points (1/2 FG, 0/2 FT) with three rebounds and a steal in division one Utah Valley’s Louisianna-Lafayette at home on Sunday, keeping the Wolverines unbeaten at 3-0.

On the coach trail, former Canterbury coach Caleb Harrison, an assistant coach, watched the Lambuth men split their games at the Lambuth University Classic in Jackson, Tennessee, while Tim Bennetts and James Lissaman, assistants at Rose-Hulman Tech, saw their squad go 2-1 last week, the loss coming against Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at the All Engineers Classic in Milwaukee.