A dominant first-half performance from Team Beck propelled them to a convincing 91-62 win against Team Davidson in the Sky Sport Tall Ferns Showcase encounter at Trusts Arena on Saturday evening.
Beck played a captains knock with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals and received excellent support from Tera Reed (16 points), Tayla Dalton (15 points) and Ella Fotu (9 points).
Davidson scored a dozen points for her team, Zoe Richards contributed 9 but Charlisse Leger-Walker was the standout with 23 points (8/15FG), 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals.
Team Beck led their opponents in all the major statistical categories winning the rebounding count 55-40, the assists tally 17-12 and the all-important shooting percentages (46% v 39% from the field.
Jacinta Beckley scored on the first possession for Team Beck, with captain Penina replying for Team Davidson.
A Fotu layup pushed Team Beck 11-5 ahead – Reed’s triple adding another three to the margin.
Davidson demonstrated her inside skills but a neat finish from Zara Jillings extended Team Beck’s lead to 19-9.
Leger-Walker found answers with five points but her former Waikato teammate, Kendell Heremaia, nailed a triple in reply.
Beck scored in transition on the quarter-time buzzer and her team were 29-17 ahead.
A Dalton steal and assist put Beck clear for the layup, the St Mary’s bound guard then landed from deep forcing Team Davidson Head Coach Jody Cameron to call a timeout with her team down 42-21.
It was one-way traffic as Ash Kelman-Poto, and Emme Shearer added to Team Davidson’s woes and when Jillings found nothing but net with her Hail-Mary effort Team Beck ended a dominant half 56-22 ahead.
Captain Beck led all scorers at the interval with 15 points.
Team Davidson started the second half in promising fashion via Kailahi-Fulu and Leger-Walker but Reed and Dalton stopped that abruptly with a couple of scorers.
Heremaia found West with a sweet assist as the lead swelled to 66-30.
Otago Gold Rush forward Zoe Richards scored 9 points in the quarter for Team Davidson but they faced a hefty deficit at the three-quarter mark trailing 73-41.
Tanaka Gapare, Helen Matthews and Leger-Walker added points to the Team Davidson score but Beck and Co had all the answers on the night.
Final score:
- Team Davidson 62 – Charlisse Leger-Walker 23, Penina Davidson 12, Zoe Richards 9, Matangiroa Flavell 6, Tanaka Gapare 5, Jazz Kailahi-Fulu 2, Ella Bradley 2, Helen Matthews 2, Mary Goulding 1, Brooke Blair, Ashlee Strawbridge, Kayla Manuirirangi
- Team Beck 91– Tera Reed 16, Stella Beck 15, Tayla Dalton 12, Ella Fotu 9, Emme Shearer 7, Jacinta Beckley 7, Ashleigh Kelman-Poto 5, Kendell Heremaia 5, Zara Jillings 5, Arielle Mackey-Williams 2, Sharne Robati 4, Amy West 4.
Talking Points
- Which of the uncapped players would stake a claim for higher honours in the future? Tayla D
- Much interest centred around the performances of Australian WNBL contingent of Penina Davidson, Stella Beck (both Melbourne Boomers) and Mary Goulding (Bendigo Spirit). Beck produced the numbers in this one.
- Aik Ho was probably the busiest man at Trusts Arena on Saturday. The Head Coach of Team Beck is also an Assistant Coach with the Otago Nuggets.
