Basketball: Junior Tall Blacks stun Australia to qualify for World Champs

The Junior Tall Blacks celebrate with their gold medals. Photo / YouTube

The Junior Tall Blacks have pulled off a stunning victory in the final of the FIBA Under 18 Oceania Championships in Fiji, defeating favourites Australia 57-51.

The Junior Tall Blacks become the first New Zealand age group team to qualify for a FIBA World Championships and to do so against the powerful, well-funded nearest rivals makes the victory sweeter. The JTB's will now head to Cairo next for the FIBA Under 19 World Championships

The heroes for the JTB's in the closing two minutes were Canterbury guard Quinn Clinton and Wellington forward Taane Samuel. With the game on a knife edge Clinton landed two threes in the final 90 seconds as the JTB's twice came from behind. His second three produced a slender 53-51 advantage. Clinton had been fouled on the shot but missed the resulting freebie only for Samuel to score on a put back.

After Australia missed a couple of scoring opportunities Samuel iced the game with a pair of free throws to set off wild celebrations amongst the New Zealand team and supporters.

Miss the game? Catch the replay and commentary here.

That was a genuine win for the JTBs. The better team won out there today. AUS had no answer for McRae. JTBs defended like mad. Awesome game.

— Sam Garriock (@Sam_Garriock) December 10, 2016

Defence dominated the early stages and it was two minutes into the game before Clinton scored the first basket of the encounter.

Callum Mcrae scored the next basket for the Kiwis and the big Kiwi centre was also prominent at the defensive end with three rebounds and a block in the quarter.

A tight first period ended with New Zealand 12-8 ahead.

A Sam Waardenburg put back got the scoreboard moving in the second stanza and a Taki Fahrensohn three took New Zealand to a 17-10 lead forcing a concerned Australian coach to call a timeout.

Hamish McDonald connected with a triple followed by a jump shot as New Zealand moved to a 24-16 lead. An excellent first half defensive effort from the JTB's finished with them ahead 27-20. Waardenburg led all scorers and rebounders at the interval with seven points and six boards.

A pair of Clinton triples took the JTB's to a double digit advantage but Australia responded with a 10-0 run. That run was broken by Taane Samuel but a strong Australian third period ended with the JTB's just three points ahead, 40-37.

Flynn Cameron scored with a left handed drive but another Australia run took Australia into the lead 44-42 with seven minutes to play.

Waardenburg tied the scores only for Australia to reclaim the advantage. The Kiwis offence had gone cold but a turn-around jumper by Samuel moved the JTB's within two points, 48-46, with three to play.

After that it became the Clinton and Samuel show as the Junior Tall Blacks created history.

Basketball New Zealand Chief Executive Iain Potter described the victory as, "A great achievement by the team and the coaching staff and an historic moment for New Zealand basketball. The win once again highlights the enormous amount of talent that we have emerging from our national and local development programmes."

Junior Tall Blacks 57 (Clinton 14, Samuel 11, Waardenburg 11 + 12 rebounds)
Australia 51