Brave Samoa outclassed in the end by Tahiti

Linda Kelsall

Samoa face a rematch against Tahiti in the FIBA Polynesian Women's Basketball Cup semi-final after losing 76-53 to them yesterday. Tahiti looked the superior team and lead the game from start to finish, but Samoa can be proud to have kept it close until the 4th quarter. Tahiti got out to a quick 8 point lead before Samoan captain Linda Kelsall (98) stopped the bleeding with an and-one five minutes into the game. From there, Samoa stepped things up and kept the game close to even, with Tahiti's lead fluctuating around eight for most of the half. While Samoa had shot a better percentage from the field (38% to 31%), Tahiti had ten offensive rebounds to Samoa's one, meaning they could get a lot more shots up. Two 3-pointers in a minute to Mahine Kamakea Tepu threatened to bury Samoa early in the 3rd quarter, but they showed plenty of heart to battle back. Samoan big Frances Ropati (00) got into her work inside, drawing plenty of attention and either finishing or getting to the line. The battle between her (12 points, 6 rebounds) and Oceane Lefranc (19 points, 16 rebounds) inside went a long way to deciding the match.
Courtesy of: samoaobserver.ws