World Cup· Season 2027
New Zealand crushed Guam 129-75 at EventFinda Stadium to close their First Round campaign, with Jack Andrew's double-double leading a balanced Tall Blacks attack in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryNew Zealand 129–75 Guam
FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers — First Round, Group A Date: 6 July 2026, 19:00 local (07:00 UTC) Venue: EventFinda Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand Referees: Daigo Urushima (JPN), Owe Shiong Chan (MAS), Chih-Chun Chuang (TPE) Technical Delegate: Yaswanth Muttettuwegama (SRI)
New Zealand closed their First Round campaign with a 129–75 demolition of Guam at EventFinda Stadium, their largest victory margin of the Asian Qualifiers. The Tall Blacks' 129 points were 43 above their tournament average of 86 per game, and the 54-point margin reflected the gulf between a side already bound for the Second Round and one that finished Group A winless.
How it unfolded
New Zealand led from the opening tip, racing to a double-digit advantage in the first quarter behind aggressive transition play and interior scoring. Jack Andrew continued the form he showed in Window 2 (20 points, 9 rebounds against Guam in March), cleaning up offensive boards and finishing putback dunks that energised the home crowd. Taylor Britt orchestrated the offence with sharp passing, and Tai Webster — playing in front of his home fans — provided floor leadership and timely scoring.
Guam stayed within touch through the first half largely on the back of Jonathan Galloway, who attacked the rim repeatedly and finished with 14 points and 4 assists. Takumi Simon also knocked down perimeter shots, but the Tall Blacks' defensive scheme — switching aggressively on screens and packing the paint — forced Guam into contested mid-range looks.
After halftime, New Zealand's depth took over. Cruz Perrott-Hunt scored on a turnaround in the lane, Reuben Te Rangi knocked down a triple, and Carlin Davison threw down a fast-break dunk. The lead ballooned past 30 in the third quarter and kept growing as Coach Judd Flavell emptied his bench. All 12 Tall Blacks dressed got on the scoresheet.
The turning point
Guam had trimmed the deficit to 18 points early in the third quarter, but New Zealand responded with a 17–4 run capped by a Taylor Britt shovel pass to Jack Andrew for an emphatic jam. Guam called timeout, but the game never tightened again. Andrew's activity on the offensive glass — he grabbed multiple putbacks during that stretch — broke Guam's resistance.
Key performers
- Jack Andrew (NZL): The big man dominated the paint with a double-double, building on his 20-point, 9-rebound outing against the same opponent in Window 2. His offensive rebounding and finishing at the rim were the game's biggest mismatch.
- Taylor Britt (NZL): Approached another triple-double with a well-rounded line of scoring, playmaking (8+ assists) and rebounding. His chemistry with Andrew in the pick-and-roll was a constant problem for Guam's defence.
- Jonathan Galloway (GUM): The veteran forward was Guam's most consistent threat, scoring 14 points and creating offence for teammates with 4 assists. He attacked the basket fearlessly against New Zealand's bigger lineup.
- Tai Webster (NZL): Playing his 51st international, the veteran guard provided calm ball-handling and timely buckets that kept New Zealand's offence flowing without hiccups.
Player of the Match: Jack Andrew (New Zealand)
By the numbers — interpreted
The 129 points New Zealand scored were their highest total in any game across the three qualifying windows. It also pushed their tournament average to 86 points per game, comfortably above Guam's tournament average of 63.2. New Zealand's rebounding advantage — they averaged 51 boards per game across the qualifiers to Guam's 32.6 — was the foundation of the blowout, particularly the offensive rebounds that generated second-chance points. Guam's 27.7% three-point shooting (tournament average) was not enough to offset New Zealand's size advantage inside, where the Tall Blacks shot 49.1% from two-point range.
What it means
New Zealand finish Group A in second place with a 2–2 record (including their double-overtime win over the Philippines on 3 July), behind undefeated Australia (4–0). Both New Zealand and the Philippines (2–2) advance to the Second Round of the Asian Qualifiers along with Australia. Guam finish the First Round 0–4 and are eliminated from World Cup qualification.
The Tall Blacks will now wait for the Second Round draw, which will determine their opponents in the next phase of qualifying for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Verdict
New Zealand did exactly what a team of their calibre should against a winless opponent: they imposed their size advantage from the first minute and never relented. The 129-point total was a statement of offensive firepower heading into the Second Round, but the real test will come against higher-quality opposition. Guam fought hard through Galloway and Simon but simply lacked the personnel to compete with New Zealand's frontcourt depth.
Rivalry since 2020
New Zealand vs Guam Head to Head Results· 2
New Zealand and Guam have met 2 times — New Zealand won 2, Guam won 0, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2020. New Zealand leads the head-to-head with 2 victories from 2 meetings. A combined 373 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 186.50 per match (212 for the home side, 161 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 2 matches (100%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 2 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 94–113 in 2020.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 7 Jul 2026