NZL/ANG – Marino, Tall Ferns survive Angola fightback

MADRID (Olympics) – New Zealand’s women started their tour of Europe on a winning note against Angola on Thursday in Madrid with point guard Angela Marino again leading the way.

Marino, who with Aneka Kerr are the only two holdovers from the New Zealand side that reached the quarter-finals of the Athens Olympics four years ago, had 14 points in a 63-55 triumph.

After the Africans cut a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to just two late in the contest, Marino made several key plays.

“There was some pressure on us to close out this game before she drew some fouls and got to the free throw line,” New Zealand coach Mike McHugh said.

“Last month, in Beijing, that was something we had trouble doing, so this is another step up towards being ready for the Olympics.”

Jillian Harmon also poured in 14 and grabbed nine rebounds for the Oceania side, while Nassecela Mauricio scored 13 points and Angela Cardoso 11 for Angola.

The Angolans are preparing for next month’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women.

“The Angolans ran around at frenetic pace,” McHugh said. “They don’t have a high level of skill, but they are very athletic and very strong.

“They just bully you … it was good for us to absorb that type of game and come away with a win.

“Our goal was to keep them below 60 points, which we achieved, so I was quite pleased with our defensive effort.

“But we didn’t execute plays well enough … we just weren’t able to finish off as well as we would have liked.”

Next up for New Zealand is a game against European powerhouses Spain in Valencia. The Spanish are also warming up for the Olympic qualifying event, which they are hosting in Madrid from June 9-15.

The Tall Ferns know they can expect a tough game because Spain, who captured a silver medal at last year’s EuroBasket Women in Italy, thrashed Angola in a recent friendly by 30 points.

“Spain are a juggernaut,” McHugh said. “But that’s what we are here for and they could very well be in our pool at the Olympics.”

FIBA