The Tall Blacks have finished with two wins and a loss in the 2025 Solidarity Cup in Guangdong, China.
With three games schedule over the course of three days – the tournament was sure to give the Tall Blacks some well needed preparation and key time on the floor together as a unit, and it sure didn’t disappoint.
Saturday 26th July
Game One v Brazil
The Tall Blacks opened up with a tough match-up against the tweltfth ranked team in the world, Brazil. Always a tough, physical battle – this one with the Brasilians wouldn’t be anything different.
It was a hotly contested first quarter – with both sides trading early blows, Taylor Britt getting New Zealand underway with a trademark left-handed lay high off the glass. Brazil put together a couple of quick buckets towards the end of the first to move up to a 31-21 lead heading into the quarter break.
Brazil came out in the second quarter and dominated proceedings, winning the quarter 30-9, behind Kayo & Gabriel’s combined 27 points (9/10 FG).
In a much improved second half, the Tall Blacks cut into the 31-point Brasilian lead – off the back of some fantastic offense from guards Taylor Britt and Flynn Cameron (who would end up combining for 27 of the Tall Blacks 68 points).
A huge fightback from the Tall Blacks in the second half a sign of great things to come for the Tall Blacks who, without a little bit of South American flare towards the end of the fourth quarter, would’ve been much closer to their Brasilian counterparts.
A special occasion from this one was the international Tall Black debuts of four new caps to the team. Jack Andrew, Mojave King, Dontae Russo-Nance and Luca Yates all earning their first minutes in the black singlet.
Tall Blacks 68 (Cameron 14, Britt 13, Murray 8) defeated by Brazil 85 (Kayo & Gabriel 17, Paulichi 16, Victor 11)
Sunday 27th July
Game Two v Guangdong
The second night of the tournament, the Tall Blacks took on local squad Guangdong.
The Tall Blacks came out firing off the back of their huge second half against Brazil, led by Flynn Cameron with eight first quarter points, they took an early lead and never really looked back.
Whilst the home team were able to remain close in the first half – it was again the second half that would see the Kiwi’s ramp it up a notch or two, outscoring Guangdong in the second half 47-30 to earn a well deserved 90-66 victory.
Again, it was Flynn Cameron leading the scoring with 19 – whilst scoring across the board saw everyone contribute in a real team effort in this one.
Of particular note was youngster, Hayden Jones, who fell just one field goal short of his first Tall Black double-double.
Tall Blacks 90 (Cameron 19, Davison & Hunt 11, King & Murray 9, Jones 8p & 11r) defeat Guangdong 66.
Monday 28th July
Game Three v Montenegro
The final game of the Tall Blacks Solidarity Cup campaign came against Montenegro, in what would be a fiery encounter from the jump.
Elevated by the first on-court sightings of their skipper, Jordan Ngatai, and 69-game veteran Tohi Smith-Milner,Ìý the Tall Blacks dominated the beginning and end of the opening quarter. A lucky three-quarter court heave from Montenegro’s Brnovic fell on the quarter time buzzer and closed the gap to one.
A back-and-forth second quarter saw the lead change hands, as Brnovic’s miraculous buzzer beater looked to give him plenty of confidence as he poured in 12 first half points.
It was yet again another good team effort in the scoring department from the Tall Blacks, a half in which almost all players on the scoresheet tallied points. All 14 field goals made in the first half from the Tall Blacks came via an assist.
The third quarter would remain incredibly tight – with both teams locked up for the majority of the quarter. Flynn Cameron adding his trademark spark and energy with eight points in the third to set up a big final quarter in Guangdong, before Brnovic yet again beat the buzzer at the end of the third!
The Tall Blacks tightened the screws on the defensive end come the fourth quarter – and it opened up a five-point New Zealand lead heading into the final three minutes of the game.
Montenegro with back-to-back buckets, once again closed the lead to a single point with a little over two to play, before Flynn Cameron drained another triple to restore the two basket Kiwi lead.
Another Montenegro technical foul saw Cameron knock down both free throws, before quickly hitting another triple to see the Tall Blacks lead soar out to 9, a comfortable buffer that would eventually see them home 89-82.
Tall Blacks 89 (Cameron 22, King & Smith-Milner 11, Britt 10 ) defeat Montenegro 82 (Brnovic 27, Radoslav 14)
Overall, the Solidarity Cup was a chance for really valuable on-court time for the team to gel and get a couple of wins under the belt. The Tall Blacks now head to Shenzhen for the Four Nations Tournament. There they’ll play two games before they head to Jeddah for the FIBA Asia Cup.
More news around the FIBA Asia Cup’s final squad member will be released in the coming days.
