Hoops

U18 Oceanias teams?

We try to win with small ball, again and it doesn't work so we have only ourselves to blame.

Sucks..
We could have fielded a strong team next year.

Weird lineups for Aus. Made no sense.

Congrats to nz.
They will add Wynyard to there team next year.

Wow that sequence with the banked 3 and the blown box-out was a killer.
Kiwis win.

We were always going to rely on some threes to get us home and it didn't happen today, well done to the Kiwi men and good luck to you all at worlds, commiserations to the Emus, no miracle this time.

40:00 seconds to go with NZ up by 55-51. WOW!

Caporn has to go.
The guy just doesn't make great decisions.

Glover trying to play hero ball.

Clinton becomes the hero.

Big bank shot and a put back on the free throw by NZ and it looks like they have snatched it...

OMG!!!

Minute and a half to go and a big three by NZ puts them up by one then Australia up by one with a quick reply, great ending coming up...

NZ outrebounding us but giving it back with turnovers. I thin they have choked here after a 13 point lead, sad to see for the Kiwis after a great start but not quite over yet...

How come no white?

Last quarter will be something, whoever can hold their nerve I think...

Signs of life. Emus close to within 3 at the final break

Fair enough anon', thanks for the heads up, they unfortunately won't be at worlds though.

Meanwhile half way through third Zunic and Rigoni have come on and made an impact, finally we have hit a three. Glover missing too many, good move by Caporn, but still eight points down.

No heart...

the nz team they field at nationals isn't always made up with the best they have at the time.
A lot of girls are not available.

Some are overseas like Reed.

That, and the fact that our 3 bombs were either bricks or air balls. Lots of improvement expected for the third quarter.

Lucky to be down only 7 at half time. We dodged a lot of bullets on some pretty good looks by NZ. Not impressed so far.

Nearly half time, Emus can't land a 3 pointer and we are losing the battle of the boards.

Beating NZ who can't even compete when they send a team to Aussie Nationals hardly makes the Gems a gold medal prospect.

The gems weren't that much bigger than nz on the frontline.

Reed 6'1
Dale 6'2
Mcgoldrick 6'2
Whittaker 6'3
Dunn 6'3

Rowe 6'0
Bibby 6'1
Aokuso 6'3
Mcspadden 6'4
Magbegor 6'4

Scores hard to come by in that 1st

Gems, from what I saw, had size over the Tall Ferns. Also had skill over them, so when the Kiwi girls started losing on the scoreboard and got physical it didn't help them.

The boys are not lucky enough to have size over the Tall Blacks and the game looks like it will be tight, so I predict this will be a war!

Emus webcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDidR2-xhYk

Emus and Tall Blacks have started, already looks a different game, maybe a lot closer than we hope for....

Girls far too big and far too talented, unfortunately for the Tall ferns they were not up to par this time around.

Looks like it was dominated by the bigs for the Aussies, great job girls , bring on worlds, hopefully another gold for this lot

Congratulations to the Gems, very impressive performance.

Luuuc, who comes out and who goes in come July?

Gems giving NZ an absolute belting atm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuZvPpV8OK4

Junior tall ferns/tall blacks

Gems at 2:00pm
Emus at 5:00pm

Sorry don't know what they call the Kiwi reams at this age group?

Could go either way in both games, will be interesting today.

Are both teams going to make it through?

Gonna be interesting to see who stays and who goes from the gems in 6 months time.

Current squad.
Cubillo
Conti
Rocci
Shelley
Simons
Rowe
Ogier
Horvat
Bibby
Mcspadden
Aokuso
Magbegor

Injured/Camp/Overseas
Molloy
Yaegar
Simmons
Maley
Pizzey
Cochrane

Plus more invites I'm sure...

Great to see Maley back playing competitively, will be really interesting to see how she goes in the WNBL.

6'1 f Maley has signed with Adelaide lightning for the rest of the 2016/2017 season.
Currently averaging 20 points/24 rebounds a game in the ASC.
Visited San Diego, Oregon and TCU.

Also, Keep an eye on ..
99 6'2 f Isabelle Parker (28 points/17.5 rebounds a game) (signed to pacific)
99 5'9 g Briana Babic (28.5 points a game)

Gems-Tahiti boxscore:
http://www.fiba.com/ls/#8084&12754-A-1

A good effort for most of the game, but our defence completely fell apart for a while in the 3rd quarter so there's room for improvement.



Emus & Tahiti are warming up ...

And Yaegar, and Molloy...

And who will make way for those 5?

They just have to win next Saturday, then hopefully they can get Simmons, Cochrane and Maley back to compete at worlds.

I disagree with the gems having no weakness.
Ogler has a different game to Simmons.
I don't see a great facilitator on this gems team. Imo, Molloy should be starting with Conti as backup. Rocci or Shelley playing 3rd string pg.
Not a great perimeter shoooting team. (Bibby and Horvat probably playing closer to the basket) Conti, and simons the only real consistent outside threat.
Magbegor is facing more physical players, (Whittaker, Dunn etc) different to those she faced in u17s. These players will try to go through her, not around her. Could get into foul trouble early.

Nz have a much better lineup than previous years. bigger, faster, lots more experience. Won't be a whitewash...

leger walker, Ruske, fuiava, Whittaker, and Dunn is a very strong lineup.

The GEMS are super talented everywhere, no obvious weaknesses and they should romp it in.

Yes

Looking to beat NZ men with shooting, lots of shooting in this team. Bigs are there to defend and run sets to open up drives and shooting out wide. If NZ has a chance it will have to hurt AUS inside, but they will also have to shoot well too.

Caporn loves small ball. Only 2 bigs in froling and Carter.
Same as last u19s when he only took hunter and gak.

Sam Short listed as coming from Vic Metro is wrong, he is as country as apple pie.

Is cubillo a better pg than Rocci or Molloy?

Caporn likes to go small it seems.
Similar to u19 worlds.

I would have liked to see seebohm coaching over goriss.

Where is our height in the men going to come from once Froling sits down? Kiwis have a 7 foot giant, going to kill us!

Emu's Men are very young, hope that doesn't go against them! Talent is there but one or two suspect calls that could hurt us against NZ. I like the Gems team very much and any age difference doesn't hurt in the women as much as it could the men.

Goo luck to both our Aussie teams!