CNMI cagebelles held to lowest output vs Australia

The Australia-CNMI game was a mismatch with the Opals holding the Commonwealth’s cagebelles to their lowest output en route to a 140-20 demolition in the last game in Pool A of the 7th FIBA Oceania Youth Tournament Tuesday afternoon at the University of Guam Fieldhouse.

The CNMI cagebelles finished last in Pool A with a 0-3 record. It lost to Tahiti in the first match, 101-30 and had a decent game against Fiji before bowing out, 46-69.

Australia’s dominance over the young and much smaller CNMI Women’s Junior Nationals was evident on both ends of the court.

The towering Opals outrebounded the CNMI cagebelles, 46-20. Australia had 29 offensive rebounds compared to CNMI’s six. On the defensive end, Australia tallied 17 against the CNMI’s 14.

The CNMI played an erratic game, committing 37 turnovers against the Opals’ only nine.

The Commonwealth cagebelles’ sluggish play resulted in Australia coming up with 27 steals. The CNMI stole the ball from an Aussie ballhandler once.

On offense, Australia was way ahead shooting 61.7 percent from the field after going 66-for-107.

The CNMI bets had a dismal 16.7 percent clip, making only seven of its 42 field goal attempts. The team also had a poor showing from the free-throw line, hitting 1-for-7.

Australia had a 50 percent clip from the 15-foot line, going 4-for-8, and was 4-for-13 from downtown.

The Opals also played more as team, recording 34 assists compared to the CNMI’s four.

Capping Australia’s dominance over the CNMI was its balanced offense with all nine players scoring in double figures.

Kerry Harrington, Rebecca Allen, and Gretel Tippett fired 20 points apiece, while Rebecca Cole added 17. Allyson Brown had 16, Ashleigh Karaitiana chipped in 13, and Jillian Haughton and Madeleine Garrick contributed 12 each. Georgia Minear finished with 10 points.

Lia Rangamar was the lone double-figure scorer for CNMI with 11, and she drew contributions from only three teammates.

The CNMI cagebelles scored only in the first half making 10 points each in the first and second quarters. Australia despite having the win in the bag shut out the Commonwealth in the next two periods.

With their 0-3 slate, the CNMI bets will be pitted against Pool B top placer and host Guam in the quarterfinals.

Guam had a 3-0 record in Pool B after defeating New Caledonia, 67-57; Papua New Guinea, 77-56; and Palau, 76-58.

Other pairings in the quarterfinals are Fiji vs. New Caledonia; Tahiti vs. PNG; and Australia vs. Palau.

All quarterfinals games will be played today after the tournament took a break yesterday.

New Caledonia, which finished second in Pool B, will face Pool A third placer Fiji at 2pm. At 4pm, Tahiti will collide with PNG, while Pool A top finisher Australia will duel Palau at 6pm.

The CNMI-Guam quarterfinals tiff will be played at 8pm.

Australia 140 – Harrington 20, Tippett 20, Allen 20, Cole 17, Brown 16, Karaitiana 13, Haughton 12, Garrick 12, Minear 10.

CNMI 20 – Rangamar 11, Lebria 4, Mesa 3, Calvo 2.

Scoring by quarters: 44-10, 75-20, 110-20, 140-20.