Tall Blacks clinch win over Cape Verde in opener

New Zealand vs Cape Verde (Photo credit: FIBA)Photo Gallery>>(BEIJING, July 15) -- The New Zealand Tall Blacks went on a 16-point run to clinch a 77-50 win in their opening game against Cape Verde at the FIBA Qualifying Tournament in Athens.

Kirk Penney scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Tall Blacks, while Jeff Xavier set the pace for Cape Verde with 22 points and eight rebounds.

New Zealand had a good start, scoring 16 consecutive points, building momentum from the beginning.

"We needed to win this game and tried to make that clear from the beginning." New Zealand player Mika Vukona told Fiba.com. "Opening games might cause trouble and that's the reason we decided to play tough and press full court from the tip-off."

Mario Correia of Cape Verde acknowledged the difficulty of shaking off New Zealand's offense. "They pressed us big time in the first quarter and we failed to handle this situation," he said, adding that in the second half, "I think we proved our character and never gave up despite falling much behind."

Cape Verde earned the chance to compete in Athens through a surprise win over Egypt in the bronze medal match at the 2007 FIBA Africa Championship.

The Tall Blacks face a more difficult challenge in their next game, when they will face the elite German national team, which boasts NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman.