Basketball: Tall Ferns pip China to reach quarter finals

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

The New Zealand women's basketball team have defied the odds and the critics with a 79-77 win over China to book a place in the Olympic quarter finals.

A jump shot by guard Megan Compain put New Zealand through in an emphatic victory for New Zealand basketball.

When China's Zhang Fan had hit a towering three pointer to tie the game at 77-77 with six seconds to go, it looked like the game was headed for overtime, but Compain was composed as she sent the ball sailing through the air to plunge the Tall Ferns head on into another unknown and unlikely adventure.

The Tall Ferns beat Korea 81-73 in Game two and with this two point win against Asia's other representative, they are guaranteed a place in the top eight regardless of the outcome in their game against the Czech Republic on Sunday.

The New Zealanders' lead was threatened throughout the tough encounter.

China briefly held the advantage in the first quarter and looked set for victory after the third, but the gutsy Kiwis refused to be counted out.

At the start of the game the Tall Ferns came out firing and raced to an 11-5 lead in the early stages of the first quarter.

But the Chinese, slower off the mark, hit back tying the game for a second time at 15-15.

Gina Farmer, Megan Compain and Angela Marino kept New Zealand's nose in front to be 21-19 at the end of the period.

By half time New Zealand's advantage had swelled to four, with the score 35-31.

Marino shot a huge three-pointer that helped the Tall Ferns to an eight point lead in the opening minutes of the second half, but better shooting returns from the Chinese kept them in it.

China then gained control in the third quarter. Centre Wang Ling tied the match for a sixth time and the teams were locked at 55-55 heading into the fourth quarter.

By that stage China were down to 10 women as their injury toll began to mount. Chen Nan limped off in the final minutes of the period, joining starting centre Chen Luyun who had suffered a bad fall and was carried off after twisting her knee in the opening spell.

The Tall Ferns were like women possessed in the final quarter. They overtook China in the early stages and a Marino jump shot with five minutes left threw China off the scent again after they had tied at 63-63.

This time there was no stopping the underdogs of the game and the tournament, as calm heads, Gina Farmer, Donna Loffhagen, Compain and Marino led New Zealand home.

Compain was fizzing after the match.

"I have never had a buzzer-beater in my life. It's fantasitic. I was actually thinking about overtime and didn't expect to get so open.

"Our goal was the quarterfinals. Being realistic we wanted to win two games in pool play and now we've gone through and done it."

Compain said that it might take a while for the victory to sink in.

"It is pretty emotionally charged in the changing room at the moment. We are all shaky."

- NZPA