Guard Tahlia Tupaea has led all scorers with 20 points, as the Tall Ferns dispatched Lebanon 76-45 to progress towards the semi-finals of the Asia Cup at Sydney.
The result sees the NZ women into a crossover elimination game, where victory would clinch a top-four finish and entry into Olympic qualifying tournaments next February.
New Zealand took command early against their winless opponents, leading 17-6 after the opening quarter and rattling off nine unanswered points during the second period.
Their lead extended to 34 points midway through the final quarter, as they dominated around the basket, outscoring their rivals 26-14 in the paint and 18-6 off offensive rebounds.
Australian-born Tupaea, who was drafted by Minnesota Lynx in the 2017 WNBA draft, converted six three-pointers among her points haul, while forward Penina Davidson compiled a double double of 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Coach Guy Molloy rested Tupaea and Davidson from the 80-45 loss to China less than 24 hours earlier, and his two stars produced the goods against Lebanon.
The Tall Ferns now await the results of later games to find their next opponents. If China beat Korea, New Zealand will meet Philippines for a spot in the semi-finals.
New Zealand 76 (Tupaea 20, C Leger-Walker 19, Davidson 13) Lebanon 45 (Baptiste 11)
