Basketball: Brilliant Ferns up with the best

By PETER JESSUP

The Tall Ferns surprised themselves, Slovakia and the rest of the women's basketball world with a one-two series loss to the highly fancied European champions.

The New Zealanders now take real credibility to the Sydney Olympics.

The Ferns were in the third and final test all the way at the North Shore Events Centre on Saturday afternoon and made a huge step up in physical confrontation, skill level and confidence in losing by only seven points, 69-76.

The Slovakians had a 56-52 win in Tauranga on Thursday following 40 hours of travel.

The Ferns showed guts and determination to take a 66-58 win after overtime in Hamilton on Friday, with touch international Leanne Walker going the length of the court then sinking the two free-throws given when she was fouled, to force the extra minutes.

And on Saturday everyone expected Slovakia to come out and put their best game together to blow the Ferns off court.

Instead, at the end, the visitors were beaming widely after just escaping with a win, top shooter Marina L'uptakova - who has had five years in the WNBA - mangling her colloquialisms with: "I think they played their guts off."

The visitors had been surprised at the aggression of the Ferns and their ability, given the size difference, L'uptakova said.

It was a mighty effort from a Ferns unit pulled together for just four days before the tour - way short of the international exposure Slovakia get.

Both the New Zealand teams to Sydney could be content with a 12th and last finish given the class of their opponents, but this must make the women aim up, just as victory over Canada last year gives the men some hope of avoiding the wooden spoon.

Fatigue was a factor for the Ferns in the final minutes on Saturday. The home team trailed 63-64 with 2m 45s to go before sliding to 69-76 as the Slovakians hit three-pointers.

The Ferns' top scorer, Gina Farmer, and Julie Ofsoski both finished on the bench after being fouled out.

Coach Carl Dickel was rapt with the three-test performance and was wondering how far they could go if pushed with regular overseas visits and reciprocal tours here.

"We went 125 minutes of top basketball and lost by an aggregate of two points."

Dickel yesterday had the difficult decision of cutting a 16-woman train-on squad by four - two to be dropped completely and two to be kept on the squad regime as injury cover for the 12 going to Sydney.

He had the task of informing the unlucky quartet last night, with Basketball New Zealand then to inform the Olympic Committee of the 12 chosen, followed by an announcement tomorrow.

In New Zealand's pool for Sydney are Poland, South Korea, Cuba, the United States and Russia.

What the Ferns now need is more push-and-shove against sides the calibre of Slovakia, who are in the other pool of six for Sydney. As yet, only a pre-Olympic tournament in Canberra in late August is certain, with a tour by Japan in the offing.

The lack of international exposure may be the area where the Ferns fall down in Sydney because, on the evidence of Slovakia tour, they have all the other components required to acquit themselves well against the best, despite the height disadvantage.