POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
Leonard Whippy
Solomon Islands defeated Kiribati 94-57
Solomon Islands got their first win on the board with a convincing victory over Kiribati. The Solomon's team had great size and speed which was too much for the undersized Kiribati team. Led by Alex Masaea with 31 points the Solomon Islands shot exceptionally well from the 3 point line making 13 from 25 and winning the rebounding stat with a total of 48 rebounds. Coach Topue was able to get his bench on the floor spreading out the minutes to all 12 of his players which will help with recovery when they take on Samoa in the 3pm game tomorrow at the Taurama Aquatic Centre. Kiribati was led by Choi Being Yeeting with 16 points. They will need to regroup quickly because they take on the Guam team in tomorrow's 5pm game.
American Samoa defeated Nauru 94-55
The first 2 quarters were tight for both teams with American Samoa going into the half time break with a 5 point lead 35-30. The momentum changed in the 3rd quarter with the American Samoa's pressing up the floor to create turnovers. Led by Veresa Luvu Jr who finished the game with 4 steals and the team ending the game with a total of 21. They were able to convert on 34 of the 39 steals which was a big factor in the 39 point win. Top scorer for American Samoa was #5 Pele Tui with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Nauru was led by #8 Joeson Heine Kanimea with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Nauru were able to stick with American Samoan's for the first half of the game but unfortunately the turnover column and the rebounding column were not in their favour. They will have to work on boxing out to come up with the ball first and then be able to take care of the ball once they have possession. Both teams have tough games tomorrow morning with Nauru taking on New Caledonia in the first game of the day at 9am and the American Samoan's meeting Fiji after Fiji's 1 point loss to host country PNG. American Samoa will need to be ready for a very physical and fast game.
Tahiti def Samoa 87-59
Tahiti have kept their perfect record in tact, defeating Samoa comfortably by 28 points. Scores were tight at the end of the first quarter, with Tahiti up by just 2, but an early run of baskets in the 2nd quarter created a comfortable lead for the Tahitians and they were never headed. Tahiti's greater depth was the difference, with the team sharing minutes and getting 35 points off their bench. Conversely, Samoa had 3 players playing over 30 minutes and had just 6 points from their bench players. Tahiti Captain Ariirimarau Meuel once again led the way for his team, scoring 21 points, but he was ably supported with 4 others scoring in double digits. Samoa now move to 1-2, with their final match against Solomon's to secure their place in the top 6 group. They will be hoping for more performances from Theodore McFarland like the one they got today, with McFarland scoring 17 points and 11 rebounds to record his first double-double of the tournament. Tahiti should remain undefeated and finish top of Group A, as they take on Kiribati in their final match on Tuesday.
PNG def Fiji 75-73
In what was no doubt the match of the day, some clutch free throws from Apia Muri and Matineng Matiineng-Iakah Leahy (190-G/F-97) have secured home team PNG's second win of the tournament. In front of a sold out crowd, the PNG boys held their nerve in the final few seconds to get the win. Fiji will be left wondering what if, with a number of key players in foul trouble early in the last quarter, PNG opened up a 12 point lead. However, Fiji did not give up without a fight, and took the lead with a huge three pointer from Mataika Koyamainavure with 40 seconds to go. PNG were unable to score from the next play and it looked as though Fiji would steal the win, before an unfortunate ball-handling error from Fiji captain Leonard Whippy (180-G-82, college: BYU-Hawaii) saw PNG with one final play to win the game. Step up Apia Muri to sink 2 free throws and get PNG back in the lead. It was a big win for the home team, as it now leaves Fiji, PNG and New Caledonia with a 2-1 record, with American Samoa snapping at their heels with 1 win and 1 loss. With a passionate crowd behind them, these PNG boys are looking like they will make a serious run at that gold medal if they can keep playing with this much passion and emotion. After sitting out game 2 in a moon boot, it was good to see Aron Farmer playing big minutes again. For Fiji, they will take confidence in their ability to get back into the game and will still play a major factor in the results come the end of the tournament.
Courtesy of: Pacific Games
