THE AUSTRALIAN Opals have claimed a 3-0 series win in the Trans Tasman Throwdown Series, after defeating the New Zealand Tall Ferns in game three in Hamilton on Sunday afternoon.

The Aussies came into the clash having claimed wins in Adelaide and the Sunshine Coast in the previous week, looking far too good for their New Zealand counterparts. However, the Tall Ferns would have hosting rights for the first time in the series, which could be a serious boost as New Zealand looked to finish the Trans Tasman Throwdown with a win.

New Zealand Tall Ferns (71) def. by Australian Opals (86)

The Opals picked up exactly where they left off, dominating the first quarter to stamp their authority early and silence the crowd at Globox Arena. It was a lead built on sheer inside dominance, with the Aussies pushing the ball into the low block and finding plenty of luck finishing at the rim, with the Tall Ferns bigs unable to truly impact the shot attempts. When the buzzer sounded to conclude the first quarter, the Opals held a nine-point lead, and were fully in control of proceedings.

It was a great bounce back from the home side in the second quarter, with the Tall Ferns looking much more dangerous on the offensive end and the production was there to show for it. It was New Zealand’s improvement shooting the ball from behind the arc that proved the turning point, and at half time, it was just a four-point game, with the Hamilton crowd beginning to get vocal as their team got themselves right back in the contest.

The game turned into a see-sawing affair in the third quarter, with both sides trading baskets in an entertaining period of basketball. After the Tall Ferns managed to sneak their noses in front and fire up the crowd at Globox Arena, it was the Opals who returned serve to ensure they maintained their four-point buffer heading into the last.

Although New Zealand had done a good job to make a game of it to this point, it was all Opals in the fourth quarter, with the Aussies closing out the match with plenty of class and outworking the Tall Ferns in emphatic fashion. With a 25-14 fourth quarter, Australia had closed out the series with another double-digit win and sweeping up the series in style.

Young gun Isobel Borlase was the star of the show for the Aussies, with a team-high 18 points (7/12 FG) along with six rebounds and four assists as she continues her development into a star, this time excelling at international level.

Capping off her first series at international level, Courtney Woods was strong again with 16 points on 6/10 shooting from the field, while Keely Froling was also strong with 11 points of her own to round out the double-digit scorers.

New Zealand skipper Esra Mcgoldrick was her team’s best, posting a game-high 19 points and shooting 7/10 from the field in an excellent and inspiring performance, while Sharne Robati and Mckenna Dale both posted 11 points in solid outings.