Latest news with #TamaIsaac
RNZ News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
NZ finish fourth at under-19 basketball World Cup
Hayden Jones top-scored for the Junior Tall Blacks. Photo: FIBA/Rana Elanwar New Zealand has finished fourth at the men's under-19 basketball World Cup in Switzerland. New Zealand was beaten 91-87 by Slovenia in the play-off for third. The Slovenians were up by seven at quarter-time, with the New Zealanders having already lost their big man, Oscar Goodman, after only four minutes. Slovenia were six up at half time and 11 at three-quarter time. But the Junior Tall Blacks clawed their way back into the game and closed to within two with just a few seconds to play before Slovenia sealed the game with a couple of free throws. Hayden Jones top the scoring with 21 points, while Tama Isaac hit 20. It is New Zealand's best ever result at the tournament. They have competed three previous times with their best result until today 11th in 2017. Their effort sits alongside the Tall Blacks' fourth placing at the FIBA World Cup in 2002 and the fourth placing by the under-17 team at their World Cup last year. The USA and Germany meet in the final. New Zealand lost 120-64 to the USA in the semi-finals. Australia finished sixth.
Otago Daily Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Loss for Junior Tall Blacks
The Junior Tall Blacks were beaten 103-97 by Serbia in their final pool game at the Fiba under-19 world championship in Switzerland yesterday. Jackson Ball (19 points), Tama Isaac (18 points, five rebounds, eight assists) and Troy Plumtree (17 points, seven rebounds) produced big efforts for the young Kiwis, who led for much of the game until fading in the final quarter. The Junior Tall Blacks were playing China in the round of 16 last night. — APL
Otago Daily Times
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Tall Blacks tap teens for inaugural Throwdown series
Tall Blacks coach Judd Flavell has named a young team for the inaugural transtasman Throwdown series next week. He has selected four teenagers in the squad with just a handful of games between them. Hawke's Bay guard Jackson Ball is the youngest of the quartet at just 17. He scored 40 points for the Hawke's Bay Hawks in the opening game of the National Basketball League season and is averaging 21.4 points. He is joined in the side by a trio of 18-year-olds: Tama Isaac, Oscar Goodman and Julius Halaifonua. Isaac has been in good touch for the Canterbury Rams this season. The point guard is averaging 13.1 points and 4.8 assists. His older brother, Kaia, is on the Rams' roster as well. Halaifonua is a 2.13m redshirt freshman with Georgetown University and Goodman is at the University of Michigan. The pair have each played one game for the Tall Blacks, while Tama Isaac and Ball have made two appearances. At the other end of the experience spectrum is Corey Webster with 100 games. He will link up with experienced guards Reuben Te Rangi (71 games) and Shea Ili (71 games). There is a strong Canterbury Rams feel to the squad as well. Taylor Britt, Walter Brown and Max Darling take the Rams representation to six. There are some stars missing, though. The likes of Sam Timmins, Yanni Wetzell, Tyrell Harrison and Jordan Ngatai were unavailable. The Tall Blacks will play three games against the Boomers. Game 1 is in Adelaide on Tuesday. They play again on the Gold Coast three days later, and the final game of the series is in Hamilton on May 11. They will share the billing with the Tall Ferns, who are taking on the Australian Opals. The games are all double-headers. The fixture in Hamilton will mark the first time the Tall Ferns have played at home in five years. They have eight uncapped players in their squad of 14.
