The Tall Blacks beat the Philippines national basketball team 69–66 in Manila this week, earning their first win in the qualifying round for next year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The tense match was played in front of a loud home crowd, and the result keeps New Zealand’s hopes alive in their four-team group.
New Zealand had lost their first two games last year against the powerful Australia national basketball team. Those narrow defeats meant this match was very important.
Forward Max Darling scored the most points for New Zealand with 11. However, it was centre Sam Mennenga who stood out. He scored 10 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
Coach Judd Flavell said he was pleased with the win in what he called a defence-focused game. He explained that stopping the Philippines’ main scorer, Justin Brownlee, was a key part of the plan. Brownlee was held to just four points.
Flavell said the team’s strong connection on and off the court helped them succeed. He believes that being a small country makes the players work even harder together.
Guard Keanu Rasmussen, who plays for the Adelaide 36ers, also made his international debut late in the game.
The Tall Blacks will next travel to face the Guam national basketball team. Although some players will leave to rejoin their professional clubs, New Zealand are expected to compete strongly as they aim to finish in the top three and move to the next stage of qualifying.
