Basketball: Ruscoe tries to rescue team

Wellington guard Brook Ruscoe led all scorers but the Junior Tall Blacks still went down to Spain 104-66 in their opening match at the Albert Schweitzer under-19 men's basketball tournament in Germany yesterday.

New Zealand were only eight points behind after the first quarter, but they fell away over the next two to trail by 32 entering the final stanza.

Ruscoe provided the individual highlight for the New Zealanders with 20 points, six rebounds and two steals. New Zealand's Oceania rivals, Australia, beat Italy 85-63 in the other match.