NZL - Tall Blacks tune-up goes well

AUCKLAND (Oceania Championship) - Invaluable is how one might describe New Zealand's recently-completed tour of Asia and Europe.

The team wanted tough friendly games ahead of their Oceania showdown with Australia, and they got them.

The Tall Blacks won the Stankovic Cup in China and also played well in narrow defeats to EuroBasket-bound sides Montenegro, Macedonia and Turkey.

New Zealand wrapped up their travels with an 85-78 victory over Ukraine in the Adidas Istanbul Cup.

They trailed 43-32 at the break against Ukraine but hit back for a confidence-boosting triumph.

Kirk Penney, one of the players to help the Tall Blacks make a stunning run to the Semi-Finals of the 2002 FIBA World Championship who is still in the squad, had 26 points against Ukraine.

Center Alex Pledger continued to show his development in the sport with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Point guard Mike Fitchett said of the tour: "We played intense games against good opposition and they were back-to-back games, so physically they were getting us ready.

"I think they put together a really good program for us."

New Zealand can't relax.

The team has some important training sessions ahead before leaving for Australia, where they will play the first of three games on September 7 in Melbourne against the Boomers.

"We're not ready yet, but we've got another five or six days in camp so as long as we're ready on September 7, that's the main thing," Fitchett said.

The second and third games will be in Brisbane on September 9 and Sydney two days later.

FIBA