New Zealand Tall Ferns open Fiba Asia Cup with crucial victory over Korea

Penina Davidson

A clutch hustle play off the deck from Krystal Leger-Walker (175-G-1997, college: WSU) and the biggest two points of a stellar showing from Penina Davidson (190-F-1995, college: California) got the Tall Ferns up to a massive opening victory over Korea at the Fiba Asia Cup in Sydney on Monday. The New Zealanders had coughed up a 23-point first-half lead against the Koreans and were in danger of losing the Group A opener late, only for the older of the team's two Leger-Walker sisters and Davidson to combine for the go-ahead bucket with just 26 seconds left on the clock. Korea had knotted the scores at 64-64 with a little over a minute remaining and after Charlisse Leger-Walker (178-G-2001, college: WSU)'s missed triple bobbled loose, her sister hit the hardwood to snaffle possession and flicked a delightful pass for Davidson to roll in the easy finish at the rim. Korea still had one last shot at it, only for sharpshooter Kim Dan-Bi (180-F-1990) to miss the late triple and Davidson to finally secure possession after another scramble on the floor. The victory puts the Ferns in prime position to qualify for the semifinals, and with it advance to the next stage of the Paris Olympics qualifying process. Davidson, who played all 40 minutes of the contest, was magnificent for Guy Molloy 's Ferns in a tremendous battle against the 1.96-metre Ji-Su Park (195-C-1998). The Kiwi centre finished with a double-double of a game-high 24 points and 10 rebounds, added 3 steals and 2 blocks and played herself to a standstill for the victory. It must have been Davidson's finest performance in the singlet of her country as she made 11 of 16 shots - none more important than the casual flip at the end that put her team ahead for the final time. Charlisse Leger-Walker, who battled foul trouble throughout, provided the principal offensive support with 20 points (she made 9 of 21 shots, including 2 of 8 from deep), 3 rebounds and 3 assists while Tera Reed poured in 11 of her 14 points in a busy first half and added 11 boards and a pair of steals. Krystal Leger-Walker does not possess the scoring firepower of her younger sister, but she still made crucial plays throughout her effort of 4 points, 5 rebounds and the all-import game-clinching assist in 17 minutes off the pine. It was not the best of debuts for 2021 Tauihi MVP Tahlia Tupaea (175-G-1997), after her change of nationality from Australia, as she fouled out in 24 minutes with just 2 points (on 0-for-5 shooting) and 4 boards, and battled a shoulder injury for much of it. 'It's a big win for our programme, and I'm very proud of our team,' said Molloy. 'Our preparation shone through when we got such a commanding lead early in the game ... and then we were able to get sufficient stops as the fouling and fatigue built and worked against us.' Molloy praised an 'incredible' Davidson who played all but the final 0.4 of a second as she carried a solo load in the five spot. 'The defensive job she did on Park was critical, she stayed out of foul trouble and did an amazing job with a big double-double and the putback score that put us in front for the final time.' He was also rapt with a 'mature' performance from Charlisse Leger-Walker at the point and a scintillating first half from Reed who torched the Koreans with her speed. The Ferns made a rollicking start, going on an 8-0 run out of the blocks, and leading 20-12 at the first break behind 12 first-quarter points from Davidson and a 10-of-17 shooting clip overall. The New Zealanders opened the second term even more impressively, rattling off the first 14 points and leading by as many as 23 late in the spell and by 16 (41-25) at the major break behind a combined 39 points from Davidson (15), Leger-Walker (13) and Reed (11). But the world No 12 Koreans were always going to make a run, which they did in the third as they poured in 11 straight points midway through the period and closed to within six (52-46) with a 21-11 quarter. A Charlisse Leger-Walker triple had the Ferns out by nine (59-50) approaching the mid-point of the final stanza, only for the Koreans to level at 60-60 inside the final 4 minutes. From there it was a game of big plays, with Molloy's New Zealanders able to squeeze out more than their rivals. The New Zealanders meet world No 2 China tomorrow and Lebanon on Wednesday. One more win should be enough to see them advance to the semifinals, with all four of those sides also qualifying for the final stage of Olympic qualifying.
Courtesy of: stuff.co.nz



Tags : PENINA DAVIDSON, CAIRNS DOLPHINS, AUSTRALIAN BASKETBALL