End of an excellent adventure

New Zealand saved their best basketball until last at the Olympic games. They were beaten, but far from disgraced, in a 96-60 loss to the USA.

Jillian was a standout performer, a key figure in negating the athleticism of the US with some serious defensive hustle. She had the game-high seven rebounds. She thought, "It was a pretty exciting opportunity. Most of us grew up watching these girls. I think I was 10 years old when Lisa Leslie played in her first Olympics. It was a good experience. We played pretty well, all things considered."

Coach McHugh was delighted with the Tall Ferns' play, "We stood up, we fought and the poise we played with against possibly the best team in the world... I'm just really proud."

Here are the game report and the box score.

Here are some clips from an audio slide show of a Tall Ferns' practice session in Beijing:

and from the NBC game video:

The Tall Ferns did not attend the Olympic opening ceremony, opting instead to prepare for their game against Mali the next morning, but they will stay in Beijing through the end of the games and participate in the closing ceremonies.

So ends Jillian and Clare's excellent adventure!

Next up, USA!

The Tall Fern's final Olympics game is against the USA. They do not expect to win this one.

• Coach McHugh: “I don’t think you’ll find a person in the world who would put $10 on us to beat the Americans.”


• TV New Zealand basketball commentator Tim Neverett: "The way the USA have played over the last several Olympics and with this team they have here this year, I hate to say it but the only way that New Zealand wins that game is if the United States bus breaks down on the way to the gymnasium."

Although it probably won't be a great basketball game, it will at last give Cardinal fans a chance to see Jillian and Clare in the Olympics. The game will actually be played on Sunday morning at 7:15 am Pacific Time.

In Palo Alto, with DirectTV, the game is scheduled to be televised on Sunday from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm on NBC11. To determine when/where you can see it, click Update Localization Preferences at the bottom of that web page and specify your location and service provider.

Tall Ferns lose to Czech Republic

In their third game of the Olympics, the Tall Ferns were defeated 90-59 by the Czech Republic, who monstered them in the size department and outclassed them in the skill one too.

Coach McHugh's assessment of the Czech team says it all: "Too big, too strong, too quick, too good."

Here are game reports, from Stuff New Zealand and from Basketball New Zealand, and the box score.

Although the outcome was never in doubt, there is some controversy about the game, as there so often is about Olympic events. The Czech coach was criticized for running up the score long after their win was assured. Here is a report from TV New Zealand.

You can see the entire game in this video from NBC. Here is a clip from the video of Jillian and Clare during the pregame playing of the New Zealand national anthem.

About Jillian

Ann Killion writes about Jillians's trip from the NCAA title game in Tampa to her Olympic experience in Beijing and beyond, to next season in Maples, in this article from the Mercury News.

This article from the New Zealand Stratford Press reports on Jillian's visit several weeks ago with her New Zealand relatives in Taranaki.

Tall Ferns lose to China

The Tall Ferns lost their third Olympic game, to China, 80-63. China has a big, experienced team, and the loss was no surprise. 

The teams played even in the second half, but New Zealand could not overcome China's strong start. Jillian had another great game, with 14 points and eight rebounds. Coach McHugh says that she's been their best player through the tournament. The second-half performance gives the Tall Ferns a glimmer of hope for a win over their next opponent, the Czech Republic.

Here are games reports, from Basketball New Zealand and from Stuff New Zealand, and the box score.

Tall Ferns lose to Spain

Jillian was outstanding in the Tall Fern's second Olympic game -- she led all scorers with 22 points and had five rebounds, three assists and a steal -- but it wasn't enough to stop a determined Spanish team, who won 85-62. Here are the game report and the box score.

Jillian is a rock as NZ women open with 76-72 win over Mali

Jillian Harmon scored 12 points and had 8 rebounds in 28 minutes helping the Tall Ferns of New Zealand win their opening game against Mali.

Here's a complete boxscore from the official Olympics website

From the Tall Ferns website: Shooter KATE MCMEEKEN-RUSCOE left her scoring run until late, but responded with two of the biggest baskets of her career to present New Zealand with a 76-72 win over Mali in the opening round of pool games at the Beijing Olympics. The Kiwi women led for most of the contest, but found themselves down by three points late in the fourth quarter before McMeeken-Ruscoe, scoreless to that point, struck with a three-pointer to tied the scores. More at the Tall Ferns website.

Here's another article.

Tall Ferns Prep for Olympics + Game Schedule + Video

The NZ TALL FERNS began the final touches of their Olympic preparation with a 63-71 loss to European side Belarus in Beijing.

In their first competitive outing since early June, the Kiwi women got out to a bright start to lead through the opening quarter, but fell behind during the second period and could not wrestle back the initiative. Here you'll find the complete story. You will find the upcoming Olympic game schedule here.

Here's a video of the team's arrival at the Great Wall in June -- you'll catch both Jillian and Clare in the video.