Basketball: Kiwis finish on a high

Angola's Yanick Pires Moreira (top) contests aerial ball with Rob Loe. The Angolans were physical but lacked execution. Photo / Kenny Rodger

New Zealand 62
Angola 54

The Junior Tall Blacks ended their under-19 world championships campaign on a high note, seeing off a physical challenge from Angola to claim 13th place at the 16-team event.

The battling victory was a solid finish to a campaign that captain Dion Prewster felt exceeded many people's expectations, but ultimately fell short of matching the team's own hopes.

Having shown they were a match for some of the tournament's big guns, the defeat to Kazakhstan that stopped the Kiwis from progressing beyond first-round pool play still rankles - and probably will do for some time.

"It's safe to say that we have surprised and got the respect of a few other countries," Prewster said.

"At least that shows our hard work hasn't gone to waste. But not making it into the 12 was tough to swallow. It is heartbreaking because we know we can compete with a lot of those teams. But we did it to ourselves.

"This was our first time [at a world championships]. At least we know next time, with the next group of guys coming through, that we can compete. We just have to be mentally tougher and execute at the end."

Prewster's lack of influence in the closing stages was a factor in the Kazakhstan defeat but yesterday he stood up under pressure, nailing two crucial last-quarter shots after Angola had whittled down a 10-point deficit to just three with five minutes remaining.

That kicked the Kiwis clear in a game high on physicality but low on quality. The Angolans were a tall, rangy bunch, adept at getting to the hoop and scoring in the paint. But the Africans couldn't shoot for toffee, missing all 14 of their three-point attempts. That allowed the Kiwis, who were led by a sparkling display from guard Brook Ruscoe (20 points, 4/6 three point) and another battling performance by centre Rob Loe (15 points, nine rebounds) to stay out in front for the majority of the contest.

With their emerging players having shown they can defeat the minnows and foot it with the big boys, the question now for New Zealand is how to gain access to future events.

With just one spot allocated to Oceania, Australia - a powerhouse on the world stage at junior level - form a significant road block to any future New Zealand participation.

Coach Kenny McFadden hoped his side had made a strong enough case for FIBA to consider granting a second spot to the region.

Having finished ahead of two of the three Asian nations and proved themselves a cut above the African nations, they've made a strong case.

"If they allow us to do this on a regular basis you will see New Zealand basketball make huge strides."

The impressive Loe, in particular, is sure to have plenty of offers on the table from US colleges but there was a more immediate reward for the 2.11m centre and teammates, Brook Ruscoe and Prewster, who have been named in a 20-strong senior Tall Blacks trial squad.