Basketball: Boomers v NZ, Trans-Tasman Challenge game 2 news and results

Kings star Xavier Cooks has led the Boomers to the Trans-Tasman Challenge title as the Opals ensured Australia claimed both best of three series against New Zealand.

The Boomers flexed considerable muscle against the Tall Blacks to snare a Trans-Tasman Throwdown series win in stunning fashion on Friday night.

Before a sell out crowd at UniSC Arena, the green and gold tamed the Kiwi’s 92-67 in a wire-to-wire victory which saw Xavier Cooks (16pts) lead his Aussie’s to ascendancy.

Angus Glover (10pts), Cooks, Todd Blanchfeild (11pts) and Elijah Pepper (11pts) reached double figures in the 25-point trumping built on swarming defence.

“That (wide contributions) is the way Boomers culture is built,” captain Mitch Norton told Nine.

“It’s not just one guy. We got a number of guys to step up, and our depth is endless.”

The Kiwi’s had returned from an 18-point deficit in the third quarter to be within six midway through the fourth, before taking their foot of the gas and giving in to a superb closing by the hosts.

The Boomers went out with a bang scoring 32-17 in the fourth to add the finishing touches. Australia reeled in 47 rebounds to New Zealand’s 34, dished out nine more assists, five more blocks and seven more steals.

Xavier Cooks led the scorers in the Boomers’ win against New Zealand. Picture: Getty Images

BRITT’S BRILLIANCE INSPIRES BLACKS’ COMEBACK

A startling third-quarter explosion by spark-plug guard Taylor Britt brought life back into the Tall Blacks after they trailed by as many as 18 and were staring down the barrel of a 20-point blowout loss.

A mid-range magician from the Canterbury Rams, Britt brought his best when it mattered to pull the Kiwi’s within 10 points, trailing 50-60 entering the fourth.

He had 16 points with 2:30 left in the third and a timely three approaching the break put the exclamation mark on his wizardry. The two-year BNZ Breakers signing also drew a charge on Xavier Cooks to keep momentum in favour of the visitors.

Entering the fourth, he had 19 points, three rebounds and three assists in less than 15 minutes of action. Nine of his points came from beyond the arc where he did not miss.

It led to the Kiwi’s coming within seven points when trailing 66-59 with 7:20 left but that was as close as they came.

A stunning 5-0 scoring spurt by the Boomers quickly quelled the comeback attempt with a Norton three and Wessel’s layup launching the hosts ahead 73-61 with six minutes left.

Todd Blanchfield breaks away from the New Zealand defence. Picture: Getty Images

BRICKIN’ BLACKS

Earlier, the bruising Boomers launched a staunch defensive shut down of their foes from across the ditch to lead 18-10 entering the second quarter and promptly assert their dominance.

The Tall Blacks shot just 3-14 from the field in the first with the hosts’ suffocating defence creating four blocked shots - two of which were produced by 19-year-old forward sensation Austin Rapp.

Rapp’s raucous four-minute stint off the bench saw him hold down the fort nicely after Blanchfeild, Wessels (4 pts, 4 rbs) and Cooks (5pts, 4rbs) had come out firing to set the tone.

Buckets were few and far between for the Kiwis, and the Boomers’ stifling defence turned into offence as they scored a quick seven points to open the second quarter and take a commanding 26-12 lead.

It was never surrendered.

Keli Leaupepe gets up for the Boomers. Picture: Getty Images

STARK CONTRAST

The Boomers trailed by five points at halftime of Wednesday’s series opener and showed plenty of intent to lead comfortably, 42-28, entering the second half of Friday’s Coast skirmish.

That 19-point swing said plenty about the active hands, aggressiveness, rebounding urgency and unselfishness of the Aussies in a comprehensive, but not complete, opening half.

The Boomers had 10 assists to the Kiwi’s five, five blocks to nil and 13 made free shows compared to just four, emphasising the hosts’ eagerness to attack the cup.

The effectiveness of 33-year-old Blanchfeild (2-4 threes, 3rbs), who continues to age like fine wine, interior presence of centre Wessels (5pts, 5 rbs, 2 blocks) and peppering dribble-moves offered by Elijah Pepper were highlights in a first half performance which put a down payment on clinching the series.

BOOMERS 92 (X. Cooks 16pts, 8 rbs, 3asts, 1blk) def TALL BLACKS 67 (T. Britt 19pts, 5rbs, 3asts).

ELLIS INJURY SOURS OPALS WIN

An apparent AC joint tweak in Abbey Ellis’ left shoulder soured the Opals’ emphatic 98-57 thwarting of the Tall Ferns on Friday night.

Guard Ellis, 23, was a menace early, recording five points and three steals in an inspired 6:27 stint off the bench. Her tenacious defence was contagious as the Opals swarmed their opposition with an, at times, unbreakable full-court press.

Ellis’ night finished early however when she came off second best trying to get around screen-setting centre Ella Tofaeono early in the second frame.

Abbey Ellis injured her shoulder in a strong Opals performance. Picture: Getty Images

By the time Ellis was icing her shoulder, the Opals had already gone a long way to winning the Trans-Tasman series with a hefty 34-14 lead, 11 minutes into the game, irretrievable for the visitors.

The Opals showed why they are ranked second in the world when forcing turnovers, nabbing steals at will and getting all kinds of contributions from all 12 players who stepped foot on the floor and managed to score.

Miela Sowah, who sank three deep ones from four attempts off the bench, and forward Isobel Borlase, who stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and three steals, were just two Aussie top guns who gave their opposition hell on the Sunshine Coast.

Courtney Woods, Maddison Rocci and Steph Reid (11 steals combined) tightened the screws on defence to starve the Kiwi’s of any breathing room.

Miela Sowah in possession for the Opals. Picture: Getty Images

OPALS OOZE CLASS IN FIRST FRAME

The Opals had one hand on victory at the completion of the first quarter after a sensational 29-10 opening put a shell-shocked Tall Ferns outfit to the sword. The hosts kept their foot on the gas until the final whistle.

Diminutive guard Ellis wreaked havoc on the Kiwi’s with her plucky, determined defence yielding three steals. Her suffocating defence also forced a turnover under a defensive pressure-cooker the Tall Ferns simply could not escape.

Ellis’ superb stint off the bench epitomised the Opal’s enthusiastic start, which saw them maintain the rage after a 27-13 fourth quarter blitz delivered Wednesday night’s 88-70 win.

With Rocci controlling the tempo, the Opals led 17-8 in a flash, 25-8 with 2:30 left in the first quarter and then 41-15 with 6:23 left in the second.

Centre Lauren Scherf (2pts, 2rbs) was elite in two minutes off the bench, keeping the pressure on high after shifty guard Reid (4pts, 1ast, 1stl) and Borlase (6pts, 2rbs) started like a house on fire in a fantastic first frame which won the game.

Alexandra Fowler drives to the basket for the Opals. Picture: Getty Images

DOGGED DEFENCE DICTATES THE PACE

The Opals were firing on all cylinders and led by a country mile at the main break, 57-25, after a vicious defensive display yielded 12 steals and a whopping 24 rebounds to the Tall Ferns’ 13.

Rocci (13 pts, 3stls) and powerhouse forward Isobel Borlase (10pts, 3stls, 5rbs) led the way, taking the wind out of the Kiwi’s with their stifling efforts on both ends of the floor.

Rocci’s steal and subsequent three pointer on the stroke of half time typified the Opals’ unrelenting defence and white-hot offence which saw them nail 18-35 field goals and an impressive 17-20 free throws attempts.

Astonishingly, the girls in gold had reached the half century mark with four minutes left in the second quarter.

Opals 98 (M.Rocci 13pts, 3rbs, 2asts, M.Sowah 15pts) def Tall Ferns 57 (S.Robati 14pts, 3rbs, 5asts).

Originally published as Basketball: Boomers v NZ, Trans-Tasman Challenge game 2 news and results