Tall Ferns first half not enough against Japan
- Dave Worsley
- Jul 19
- 2 min read
The Tall Ferns have missed out on a semifinal spot at the 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup in Shenzhen, China.
New Zealand were beaten 77-62, despite an encouraging performance in the first half, which saw them down 17-19 at the end of the first quarter and then lead 41-39 at the major break.
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Captain Esra McGoldrick was a powerhouse during the first half, scoring 17 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
Japan emerged a different team in the third quarter, as guards Kokoro Tanaka and Noriko Konno took control at the offensive end, while the Tall Ferns struggled to crack some tough defense.
Japan ended up outscoring New Zealand 22-8 in the third quarter, and when they went on a 7-0 run to start the final quarter to increase their lead to 19 points, the margin ended up being too big for the Tall Ferns to overhaul.
McGoldrick, finishing the game with 28 points and 12 rebounds, continued to battle hard, scoring five straight points to try and spark her teammates, before assisting a McKenna Dale three-pointer that briefly cut the lead to 10.
But another Japanese surge halted any hopes of a comeback, as they closed out the game to advance to the semis against hosts China.
New Zealand's final match of the tournament will be against the Philippines later on Saturday, with the winner finishing in fifth in the eight-team event.
