Tall Blacks fall to Boomers in WC qualifier
- NZ Sports Wire
- 18 hours ago
- 4 min read
The Tall Blacks have fallen short in their 2027 Basketball World Cup qualifying opener.
In a low-scoring fourth quarter, the Australia Boomers edged ahead and held on for an 84-79 win over New Zealand at Hobart’s My State Bank Arena on Friday night.
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The opening quarter in Hobart saw the Tall Blacks strike first through Finn Delany, who delivered the game’s first points and four of New Zealand’s first six.
Australia countered with impressive depth, rolling out all 12 players and finishing the period with eight different scorers.
The Tall Blacks’ bench responded with a surge, highlighted by Brisbane Bullets big man Tyrell Harrison’s eight-point contribution.
After trailing by as many as eight, New Zealand tightened the screws defensively and trimmed the margin to just three at the first-quarter break.
Both sides began the second quarter trading baskets, with the Tall Blacks continuing to struggle from beyond the arc.
However, staying firmly in the fight through gritty, turnover-forcing defence that produced seven Australian giveaways.
Flynn Cameron came off the bench and continued his impressive FIBA Asia Cup form, setting the tone on both ends, compiling eight points, five assists and two steals as New Zealand found its rhythm in the midst of a huge 10-2 run that saw them open up an eight-point lead.
The Boomers surged back behind FIBA Asia Cup MVP Jaylin Galloway, who notched 13 first-half points and spearheaded Australia’s response to cut the deficit to a single point.
New Zealand had the final say of the half, however, regrouping to close the quarter strong and take a 48–42 advantage into the break.
Australia came out firing in the second half, with Angus Glover drilling two quick three-pointers to spark the Boomers and flip the momentum into a five-point lead.
But once again Cameron provided instant impact off the bench, steadying the Tall Blacks alongside Sam Mennenga, who attacked the rim relentlessly and forced the Australian bigs onto the back foot.
The Cameron–Mennenga duo carried New Zealand offensively through the quarter, combining for 15 third-quarter points to help erase the deficit and eventually reclaim the lead.
The Boomers opened the final term with a 7–3 spurt to edge back in front, but the Tall Blacks responded once again—this time through Taine Murray, who buried a corner three to level the contest at 75–all with four and a half minutes remaining.
Mennenga continued to battle relentlessly on the low block, keeping New Zealand within striking distance as the game tightened into a gritty, possession-by-possession struggle.
Australia clung to a one-point lead entering the final minute, before Davo Hickey delivered a clutch, heavily-contested triple to push the margin to four with 34 seconds remaining.
Two costly turnovers in the dying moments stalled New Zealand’s hopes, allowing the Boomers to edge further ahead and ultimately pull away to secure the victory.
In a tight Trans-Tasman battle, the Tall Blacks will be ruing a couple of wasted possessions towards the end of the game.
“That’s probably the key stat right there. You know 15’s not a lot, but they scored 12 points off it (turnovers). In international basketball, that’s too many,” said head coach Judd Flavell.
Flavell also pointing out the Tall Blacks struggles from beyond the arc, on a night they shot 25 percent from three.
“They sat out there and shot 12 threes. We would’ve liked to have done that but it just means you have to be very precise and execute more – and I don’t think we did that tonight.”
The Tall Blacks size advantage was evident in the final rebound count – the Tall Blacks winning that battle 49-36, allowing the team to capitalise with 17 second chance points, highlighted by Mennenga’s 19-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Tall Black guard Izayah Le’afa highlighted the positive note for his side.
“There was definitely some positives for us, rebounding gave us a good chance but it was just little hiccups during the game that Aussie punished us for.
“I think we’ll go back to the drawing board, look at the film and make the little adjustments.”
All eyes now turn to Monday’s return leg in Wellington (tip-off 7pm), where the Tall Blacks look forward to welcoming the Boomers into TSB Arena for the first time in a decade.
“For the majority of it – very happy, and I think we can just do a lot better to close out possessions or just entering our possession and being on the same page a little bit more and just tidying up a few things there,” Flavell said.
“A lot to like and we’ll be looking at those areas again. Both teams get to go against each other again. I’m sure there’ll be little adjustments here and there, but for the majority of it, we want to continue to play to our identity.”
The game did spell a worrying moment for Tall Black fans, as Taylor Britt left the game in the third with an apparent knee injury. Flavell reassured Tall Blacks fans that his point guard was in good spirits.
“We’ll see how he pulls up, but early signs look positive, so I’m sure he’ll be okay.”
Australia Boomers 84 (Jaylin Galloway 19, Angus Glover 17, Davo Hickey 12) Tall Blacks 79 (Sam Mennenga 19, Flynn Cameron 15, Finn Delany 10). 1Q: 27-24, HT: 42-48, 3Q: 66-67