Nor'West News: June 18, 2019

NOR’WEST NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday June 18 2019 15
Silver medal exceeds expectation
• By Gordon Findlater
JUST ONE team practice the
night before leaving for Mongolia
didn’t get in the way of Ashley
Strawbridge and her New
Zealand team winning silver at
the FIBA Under 18 3x3 World
Cup.
The 17-year-old Rangi Ruru
Girls’ School basketballer was
part of the New Zealand team
along with Sharne Pupuke-
Robati, Tayla Dalton and Charlisse
Leger-Walker who outdid
expectations to reach the final of
the tournament in Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia, before falling to the
United States.
“I’m still riding the high, it’s
been really cool to have people
at school ask about and be able
to share the experience,” said
Strawbridge.
The team had next to no experience
playing 3x3 basketball, but
were selected on their strengths
from the five-aside game which
would translate well to the high
intensity 3x3 format.
New Zealand, seeded 15th,
went into the tournament with
little expectation in the 20-strong
World Cup. However, they finished
second in their pool with
wins over Hungary (16-9), Russia
(14-2) and Poland (21-4). Their
only pool loss came against the
United States 11-20.
“The fact we got to the quarter
finals was amazing in itself,” said
Strawbridge.
In the quarter-finals they
defeated Japan 14-12 in an
extremely tight match which
went to overtime. The win set up
a semi-final with No. 1 ranked
China, which New Zealand swept
aside 21-15 before going down to
the United States 13-19 in a more
than respectable performance.
“When we first played them we
were like: ‘Oh my god we’re playing
America’,” said Strawbridge.
“In the final we knew we had
no pressure and all eyes were on
them.”
Strawbridge’s biggest contribution
to the Kiwi effort came on
the defensive end which saw her
touted as one of the best defensive
players at the tournament.
She says the biggest challenge
came against the United States.
“They are just so quick, so it felt
really good any time you could
stay in front of them and stop
them from scoring,” she said.
Strawbridge will now turn her
attention to representing New
Zealand in the five-a-side game
at the Oceania Championships in
Noumea, New Caledonia, from
August 19-24.
ACCOMPLISHMENT: Ashley
Strawbridge has returned
from Mongolia with a silver
medal from the FIBA Under 18
3x3 World Cup ​
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