What happens in Vegas, usually stays in Vegas . . . unless you’re the New Zealand Junior Tall Ferns.

With six straight wins, the JTFs - coached by Darrell Pene – ensured they will bring championship trophies back from Sin City after winning the varsity girls section at The Main Event tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday.

With post presence Chevannah Paalvast leading the way with 14 points and forward Milika Nathan compiling a 12-point and 10-rebound double-double, the Kiwis defeated ECI Select West, of North Dakota, 57-50 in a tight final.

With starters Paalvast, Nathan, Erin Rooney, who scored 10 points, captain Jordan Hunter and Cody Hippolite playing well, the JTFs were able to hang basket-for-basket with the Roughriders early in the second half, before edging ahead down the stretch.

The final win capped an undefeated six-game run through Las Vegas in their preparations for this weekend’s three-game FIBA Oceania Under-19 Championships in Adelaide, winning by an average margin of almost 19 points per game and allowing their opponents just 32 points per contest.

“Of the six games, the girls really dominated four of them,” Pene said from Las Vegas’ McCarron Airport, before the team’s Vegas-Los Angeles-Sydney-Adelaide journey.

“They really pushed the pace. Teams over here are more used to grinding it out in the half-court. We think this is the way Australia are going to play, so went want to be prepared to play with them.

“Our defence kept us in it but our rebounding let us down. That was disappointing, we let them get more than one shot . . . we were really pleased to get the games, we just need to be able to sustain it. There’s times when the girls’ concentration goes.

“The girls did play well as a team and we get another two warm-up games in Adelaide against Central league teams.”

The tournament was also an opportunity for the Kiwis to make an impression on USA college scouts and recruiters, who flood to the tournament, and New Zealand players received a significant amount of attention.
“There were scouts that showed interest,” Pene said. “There are a few guy that are keen to go to the States to play, so we’ll see what happens.”

The JTFs defeated Fort Worth Gray, of Texas, 44-27 in Sunday’s semifinal, with Paalvast scoring at will inside, scoring a game-high 15 points, while Rooney had 12 points, Hippolite 10 points, Harriet Fenwick 12 rebounds and Nathan 11 rebounds.

Saturday’s quarterfinal saw New Zealand over-run ECI Select West, of North Dakota, 51-28, with Paalvast again top-scoring with 12 points, while Rooney had 10 points and Fenwick pulled down 15 boards.

An aggressive full-court press defence allowed the JTFs to mow through their three pool games unbeaten, with two Rooney free-throws securing a 36-34 win over the Bloomington Panthers, of Indiana, along with a big 75-30 result over Washington Triple Threat and 44-25 over Hoops Dreams, of Idaho.

Rooney had 12 points and Fenwick 13 rebounds against the Panthers, Jelena Vucinic, daughter of Tall Blacks coach Nenad Vucinic, with 15 points and Paalvast 14 points against Washington and Rooney 16 points and Fenwick 12 boards versus Hoop Dreams.

The Junior Tall Ferns will be joined in Adelaide by Harbour pair Kezia Kelly and Rebecca Dew, who were ineligible for The Main Event as they have already committed to American college programmes.

Junior Tall Ferns at The Main Event, Las Vegas

Final
Junior Tall Ferns 57 (Chevannah Paalvast 14, Milika Nathan 12, Erin Rooney 10) ECI Select West (ND) 50

Semifinal
Junior Tall Ferns 44 (Chevannah Paalvast 15, Erin Rooney 12, Cody Hippolite 10) Fort Worth Gray (TX) 27

Quarterfinal
Junior Tall Ferns 51 (Chevannah Paalvast 15, Erin Rooney 10) ECI Select East (ND) 28

Pool Play
Junior Tall Ferns 36 (Erin Rooney 12) Bloomington Panthers (IN) 34
Junior Tall Ferns 75 (Jelena Vucinic 15, Chevannah Paalvast 14, Milika Nathan 12) Washington Triple Threat (WA) 30
Junior Tall Ferns 44 (Erin Rooney 16, Zoe Kensington 10) Hoop Dreams (ID) 25