Junior Tall Ferns open Oceanias with fast, aggressive and hungry win

The Junior Tall Ferns (JTFs) first game of the FIBA Under 18 Oceania Championships against Guam was a good way to shake off early nerves to find their feet in Fiji.

There were early signs of rust, with missed opportunities in the clear and converting turnovers to points, but as the quarter gathered momentum the JTFs began to gel with lightening quick passing and notching up points at speed. Akiene Reed was the early stand out, slotting five from six shots, taking New Zealand to a 30 to 8 lead after the first quarter.

Charlisse Leger-Walker was the first to score in the second quarter with a beautiful 3, after the JTFs regathered possession from a defensive rebound by Reed. The team continued to play at pace, moving the ball as if too hot to hold. The Kiwis will be looking at what they need to improve as the tournament wears on, including perhaps their work in the key, with a number of missed shots in close. Yet the Kiwis excelled with clinical offensive plays, confident to pass long and shoot from outside the arc.

Guam continued to fight throughout the first half, sprinting end to end and hustling on defence, but it was all heart as they struggled to stay with the quick ball and retaining possession. They Kiwis pushed on to a halftime lead of 66 to 12.

The third quarter opened like the second, with another Charlisse Leger-Walker 3, although it took three missed shots before it was claimed. Still those jitters were quickly forgotten as the Kiwis pace again took over and the confidence that comes with a big lead had the Kiwis bulleting passes, charging and rapidly turning offensive rebounds into points. The speed only slowing for free throws, particularly for Dunn who was steady on the free throw line. The Kiwis refused to slow on defence, hungry for the ball. Again Reed excelled, scoring consistently, and picking up defensive rebounds and steels with her superior height and speed.

The fourth opened with the Kiwis leading 95 to 18, and the JTFs came out determined to keep the pressure on, and they did, keeping Guam scoreless for the remainder of the game. The JTFs ran through their plays when Guam were quick enough to get their defence in place, but the speed of the Kiwis was taking its toll, which was difficult for them when added to the fact that New Zealand were clearly the quicker, taller, and physically stronger side - but nothing could be taken away from Guams resilience, always looking like they wanted to be on court, competing through to the final buzzer.

Final Score: New Zealand 132, Guam 18.

Top Scorers: Reed 22, McGoldrick 16, Heremaia 16.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Basketball New Zealand