The New Zealand women basketballers face an uphill battle in their bid for a spot in the Beijing Olympic quarterfinals after falling 62-85 to Spain in their pool game second round.
The result leaves the Tall Ferns still seeking their vital second win, but now on the back foot in terms of points differential if a countback is required to find the qualifiers.
Coach Mike McHuge says they're disappointed but the main concern is the margin.
He says even if they pull off another win, that will hurt them and two wins may not be enough.
After losing to hosts China in their opening game, the fifth-ranked Spanish were clinical and set their medal hopes back on track with a performance befitting their place among the world's top teams.
The Tall Ferns must beat China on Wednesday night if they hope to reach the quarter-finals again.
Although ranked only 10th in the world, the home team won the Olympic test event earlier this year and have quickly shown they will be a force when the medals are decided.
