The Junior Tall Blacks have continued their dominant run at the FIBA U18 Asia Cup, beating Philippines 75-58 this morning to finish top of Group D – and advance to the quarterfinal round.
The Kiwis built a 43-26 lead heading into half-time – hitting 4-9 from outside the arc in the second period – then held on against a Philippines resurgence in the final half to secure their third win in three games. New Zealand shot 9/25 from outside the arc at a 36% clip, and continued their dominance on the boards with a 49 to 35 advantage.
The Junior Tall Blacks also demonstrated poise throughout, limiting themselves to 12 turnovers and 11 fouls; they also dominated the fast break with a 19-8 advantage.
Carter Hopoi was a beast in this one; racking up 23 points, 16 rebounds (6 offensive) and 4 blocks on 9/16 shooting from the field. He was supported by Tama Isaac with 16 points, 9 rebounds & 6 assists, with Kahu Treacher pouring in 11 points along with 4 blocks, Ezrah Eagle adding 9 points on 3/5 shooting from downtown and Ryan Hunt with 7.
The Philippines were led by Earl Medina and his game-high 30 points, with Mark Esperanza adding 14 in a losing effort. They were held to just 35% shooting from the field against the relentless New Zealand defence, with the Kiwis blocking nine of their shots.
The Junior Tall Blacks will now wait to see who their quarterfinal opponent will be on Saturday. They enter this round with some momentum after averaging 78.3ppg over three games in group play, while holding opponents to 54.3ppg – an average winning margin of 24 points per game. As a team, they currently rank in the top four in this tournament in PPG (third), rebounds (50.3rpg, third) and blocks (5.7bpg, fourth).
Stats:
New Zealand 75 – Hopoi 23 PTS & 16 REB & 4 BLK | Isaac 16 PTS & 9 REBS & 6 AST | Treacher 11 PTS & 4 BLK | Eagle 9 PTS | Hunt 7 PTS | Bond 5 PTS | Christof 2 PTS | Silberstein 2 PTS & 5 REB
Philippines 58 – Medina 30 PTS | Esperanza 14 PTS
Box Score: https://bbnz.link/U18AC_NZLvPHI
Quarter Scores: 24-16, 43-26, 58-43, 75-58
FIBA U18 Men’s Asia Cup – New Zealand Schedule and Results
NZL v Jordan – Tue 3 Sep (WON 71-62)
NZL v Indonesia – Wed 4 Sep (WON 89-43)
NZL v Philippines – Thu 5 Sep (WON 75-58)
NZL v (TBC) – Sat 7 Sep, time TBC
NZ Men’s U18 Squad at U18 Men’s Asia Cup
Adam Barton, Nelson Basketball Association
Will Blight, Nelson Basketball Association
Jonty Bond, Nelson Basketball Association
Chris Christof, Otago Basketball
Ezrah Eagle, Basketball Hawkes Bay
Mahnaya Heke, Waikato Basketball
Julius Halaifonua, NBA Global Academy
Carter Hopoi, Tauranga Basketball Association
Ryan Hunt, Waitakere West Auckland Basketball
Tama Isaac, Canterbury Basketball
Dov Silberstein, Basketball Manawatu
Kahu Treacher, Eastern Arizona College (US)
