Waardenburg Records a Pair of Double-Doubles
Game 4: New Zealand 65, Germany 72
University of Miami freshman forward Sam Waardenburg closed out international play Wednesday afternoon with his second consecutive double-double performance. In the final 12 minutes he pulled down five rebounds and recorded eight points, as New Zealand looked to make a comeback against Germany in the Round of 16 of the FIBA U19 World Cup.
Trailing 41-54 with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Waardenburg pulled down an offensive rebound and quickly went back up to bring New Zealand within 11 points of Germany.
In the fourth, Waardenburg and New Zealand continued to claw back into the contest, cutting the lead to as little as three with under a minute to play. However, following a made lay-up after a technical foul, Germany took a lead that was to large to overcome.
Waardenburg finished the afternoon with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, giving him a tournament average of 12.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game through New Zealand’s four games.
Game 3: New Zealand 70, Argentina 74
University of Miami freshman forward Sam Waardenburg recorded a double-double Tuesday afternoon, however it was not enough as New Zealand fell short against Argentina at the FIBA U19 World Cup.
Waardenburg finished the afternoon with a tournament-high four made 3-pointers, on his way to 15 points. The 6-foot-10 inch forward also pulled down 10 rebounds while dishing out a pair of assists
Through three contests, Waardenburg is averaging 12.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. New Zealand will open up tournament play tomorrow in the Round of 16 against Group B’s second place finisher, Germany at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Game 2: New Zealand 69, France 80
University of Miami freshman forward Sam Waardenburg’s team-high 14 points were not enough Sunday morning as New Zealand fell to France at the FIBA U19 World Cup.
Waardenburg finished the afternoon shooting an efficient 74.1-percent (5-of-7) from the field, while dishing out three assists. The 6-foot-10 inch forward also set up multiple second chance opportunities for his New Zealand teammates, pulling down four offensive rebounds. Overall, Waardenburg grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and recorded a block.
Through two games, Waardenburg is averaging 11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. New Zealand will take a day off tomorrow before returning to the basketball court Tuesday, July 4 at 12:15 p.m. ET, in a matchup against Argentina to conclude the Group Stage.
Game 1: New Zealand 88, Korea 81
University of Miami freshman forward Sam Waardenburg and New Zealand came from behind Saturday morning to open up FIBA U19 World Cup play with an 88-81 victory over Korea.
With 4:37 left to play in regulation, Korea knocked down a pair of free throws to take a 77-69 lead. Following a timeout, the game quickly turned back in favor of New Zealand as Waardenburg and his teammates closed out the game on 19-4 run, to seal the victory.
The 6-foot-10-inch forward dished out a co-team-high five assists, while adding eight points and three rebounds.
Waardenburg and New Zealand will return to the hardwood tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. ET, when they take on European champions France.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami men’s basketball player Sam Waardenburg is set to compete for New Zealand at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup.
Entering his freshman season at The U, Waardenburg joins a 12-man roster consisting of a quartet of bigs standing 6-foot-10-inches or taller.
In addition to Waardenburg, who stands at 6-foot-10-inches tall, also on the team will be 7-foot-1-inch center Callum McRae as well as Angus McWilliam and Tai Wynyard who are both 6-foot-10 as well.
On Dec. 10, New Zealand faced Australia in the FIBA U18 Oceania Championships. Tallying 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in the capital city of Fiji, Suva, Waardenburg helped lead the New Zealand basketball team past Australia, 57-51. With the victory, New Zealand qualified for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup for the first time.
Held in Cairo, Egypt, from July 1-9, the tournament includes 16 countries split into four groups, with all 16 teams advancing out of the Group Stage and into the Round of 16.
Drawn into Group A, New Zealand will be joined by European champions France, Asian powerhouse Korea and Argentina, who were granted the spot from FIBA Americas after the suspension of Brazil was confirmed.
New Zealand is scheduled to open up group play against Korea on Saturday, July 1. On Sunday, Waardenburg and his teammates will face France, before concluding group play on the Fourth of July against Argentina.
New Zealand’s Schedule for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup:
July 1: New Zealand 88, Korea 81
July 2: New Zealand 69, France 80
July 4: New Zealand 70, Argentina 74
July 5: Round of 16: New Zealand 65, Germany 72
July 7: Classification No. 9-16: New Zealand 87, Mali 63
July 8: Classification No. 9-12: New Zealand vs. Puerto Rico, TBD
July 9: TBD
