Kiwis rip Lebanon for first worlds win
August 31, 2010
IZMIR, Turkey (AP)—Kirk Penney scored 26 points and Thomas Abercrombie added23 on Tuesday as New Zealand beat Lebanon 108-76 for its first victory at thebasketball world championship.
Penney, the tournament’s leading scorer with 28 points per game, helpedsustain the Kiwis’ hopes of advancing to the next round in Istanbul.
Abercrombie scored 10 points, including two 3-pointers from the same corner,in the game’s first four minutes to spark New Zealand to a 32-16 lead going intothe second quarter. The Kiwis dominated inside early on, and scored five layupsin the last minutes of the first quarter.
Jackson Vroman had three fouls in the first half and the former Iowa StateUniversity center’s absence hurt Lebanon to start the second half. New Zealandscored eight points in the paint in the first four four minutes, and by the timeVroman returned the Kiwis had built a 65-40 lead.
Penny poured in four 3-pointers in the third quarter.
New Zealand expanded its lead in the fourth quarter. Three minutes in, FadiEl-Khatib missed a desperation runner with the shot clock running out, thenwalked to the sideline head down as New Zealand collected the rebound andstarted a fast break behind him. El-Khatib finished with 18 points, and RonyFahed Jean Abd El Nour scored 12 each.
Abercrombie’s one-handed alley-oop dunk over Elias Rustom with 30 secondsleft in the game invigorated the crowd after the outcome had long been decided.
It was the teams’ first meeting in a senior men’s tournament.
New Zealand plays Canada Wednesday, and New Zealand plays group favoriteSpain.
Its game time! Sign up for Fantasy Basketball 10 today!
