Tall Ferns beaten by China at FIBA Asia Cup
- Dave Worsley
- Jul 17
- 3 min read
The Tall Ferns have been well-beaten by tournament favourites China 85-51 at the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Shenzhen.
New Zealand showed early promise, particularly on the defensive end, where they worked hard to contain China’s towering frontcourt duo of Han Xu and Zhang Ziyu. Ritorya Tamilo even made a block on Zhang, highlighting the Tall Ferns determination..
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Despite the strong start, China’s Shuyu Yang ignited the home crowd with two early three-pointers, sparking a run that saw the hosts pull ahead.
Xu and Ziyu eventually found their rhythm, combining for 10 points and helping China build a 15-point lead by the end of the quarter.
The second quarter saw China’s Liwei Yang shift into high gear, scoring five straight points to stretch the home side’s lead to 22.
But the Tall Ferns kept trying with Emme Shearer knocking down a three-pointer, capitalising on back-to-back offensive rebounds.
Although China’s lead remained firm, getting contributions from each of their players.
McKenna Dale’s deep three with under four minutes left in the half gave the Tall Ferns a spark. Moments later Dale she made her presence felt on the defensive end of the floor, timing a superb transition block that silenced the home crowd momentarily.
Pahlyss Hokianga added a touch of finesse with a beautiful double-pump reverse layup near the end of the half, but despite their grit and determination, the 2degrees Tall Ferns trailed by 19 at halftime.
The third quarter began with Bec Pizzey sinking a shot followed by Shearer with her second
to kick start the Tall Ferns scoring.
However, China’s 7’3” Zhang Ziyu began to assert herself, finding ways to score despite the Tall Ferns’ relentless and physical defence.
China quietly pieced together a 12-0 run to take control of the quarter, before Tayla Dalton broke the streak with a much-needed bucket.
Charlotte Whittaker found some rhythm in the post, adding a couple of solid buckets, but the Chinese continued to build momentum. By the end of the third, the home side had extended their lead to a commanding 28 points.
Tamilo opened the fourth quarter with a strong move to the rim, finishing through contact and converting the three-point play at the line.
Despite her efforts, a pair of Chinese three-pointers helped stretch the lead even further.
Whittaker responded with a deep mid-range jumper and later became the only kiwi to reach double digits, thanks to a beautiful fast-break dime from Ashlee Strawbridge.
Hokianga added valuable points late in the quarter, lifting her personal tally to seven, but China’s depth and firepower proved too much in the final minutes, as they pulled away to secure an 85–51 victory.
The 34-point margin mirrored the result from the 2023 FIBA Asia Cup, where China defeated the Tall Ferns 80–46.
“We can’t be too disappointed with what we were able to put out there against a very great team," said New Zealand Coach Nat Hurst.
“We’re building a solid foundation that we need to continue to grow off. Like when we look at the score tonight, that’s why we’re not too disappointed because I feel like we did a lot of great things out there as we’re trying to build.”
New Zealand have a rest day before taking on Japan in the qualification semi-finals on Friday night, 11:30pm NZT
