Former Platinum Homes Harbour Breeze centre Penina Davidson enjoyed a terrific FIBA Asia Cup in Jordan last week.

A Covid induced 2-year break from international play and a compromised build-up proved to be too great a hurdle for the Tall Ferns to overcome in their bid to make the top four and advance to the next stage of qualifying for the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup.

However Penina couldn’t have done much more to earn her team a semi-final spot leading the Tall Ferns in both scoring (15.4ppg) and rebounding (8.0rpg).

Penina last played for the Platinum Homes Harbour Breeze in 2019 and since then her international form has been outstanding – take a look at her numbers from the last 8 games the Tall Ferns have played.

The former Rangitoto College and Cal Berkeley standout has averaged 15.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

November 2019 Olympic Qualifiers in Auckland:

v Philippines – 16 points & 11 rebounds

v China – 8p/8r

v Korea – 24p/15r

2021 Asia Cup in Amman, Jordan:

v Korea 21p/11r

v Japan 6p/6r

v India 18p/11r

v Australia 6p/5r

v Chinese Taipei 26p/7r

Penina’s 26 points haul against Chinese Taipei usurps Jillian Harmon’s 23 points (in 2017 against DPR of Korea) as the highest single game points tally for NZ at the Asia Cup.

The 26-year old has made 53 appearances for the Tall Ferns, 10 of those at the Asia Cup (2019 and 2021). She is now the third highest points scorer for New Zealand at the Asia Cup. 

Leading Points Scorers:

122 Micaela Cocks

120 Kalani Purcell

99 Penina Davidson

Penina now heads to Melbourne to prepare for the upcoming Australian Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) playing for Melbourne Boomers.

It will be her third season with the Boomers who are coached by Tall Ferns Head Coach Guy Molloy.

Brooke Blair, an NBL winner with the Breeze in 2020, and Ash Karaitiana  averaged 4 points per game in Jordan, each of them playing all five games.

Both are now homeward bound – Ashleigh to Brisbane and Brooke to Auckland.