Basketball: Tall Blacks claim emphatic win over Saudi Arabia

Tohi Smith-Milner of the Tall Blacks. Photo / Photosport

The Tall Blacks have claimed their first World Cup qualifier win for 2023, dispatching Saudi Arabia 110-63 in Christchurch.

Scoring their most points in a game since a 113-94 win over Guam in 2020, the Tall Blacks had six players score in double figures – led by Ethan Rusbatch’s 21 points.

Reuben Te Rangi added 17 - with just one missed field goal attempt - and five assists, while Sam Waardenburg registered 17 points and eight rebounds in an impressive Tall Blacks debut. Tohi Smith-Milner poured in 14 points and a pair of blocks in only 10 minutes of action, while big men Isaac Fotu and Tyrell Harrison chipped in 12 and 11 respectively.

The Kiwis shot an impressive 65 per cent overall from the field, and assisted on 33 of their 42 made shots.

Defensively they were sound too, forcing Saudi Arabia into 24 turnovers - which New Zealand turned into 31 points.

There were positive signs from the outset for the Tall Blacks, who ran out to an 11-2 lead on the back of strong starts from Smith-Milner and Fotu.

That set the tone for the rest of the quarter as the Kiwi side went into the break with a handy 36-16 lead.

It was a sign of things to come.

While Saudi Arabia opened the second quarter with a pair of three-pointers to begin the process of whittling down the deficit, the Tall Blacks maintained their dominance over the game to take a 32-point lead into the halftime break as Saudi Arabia’s early foul trouble began to become a hindrance for them.

The third period continued in a similar manner as the quarters before it, with the Kiwis continuing to build a lead.

With the game well in hand, coach Pero Cameron elected to rest his starters and give the bench an extended run – with Nikau McCullough, Ritchie Rodger and Walter Brown among those getting the chance to soak up some minutes. The Kiwis cooled down somewhat in the final frame, held to just 16 points, but closed out a strong win.

They will now turn their attention to their next game, taking on Lebanon in Wellington on Monday for their final Asia-Oceania zone qualifying game.

The Tall Blacks have already qualified for the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines in late August-early September.