The Tall Ferns have been beaten by the powerful USA team in the first game at the Four Nations Tournament in China, going down 76-44 to a star studded American lineup.
The undersized New Zealanders competed strongly with their much bigger and much more credentialed opponents on the boards (33-36) but could not match the offensive threat posed by the Americans.
Best for the New Zealanders on offence was Samara Gallaher with 10 points while Deena Franklin chimed in with 6 points and 6 boards on debut while Toni Edmondson led from the front with 8 points and 5 boards.
The Achilles heel for the Tall Ferns was turnovers, with the inexperienced lineup giving up possession 25 times against their more experienced opponents, killing any chance of a run at the USA team.
