AUSSIES START FIBA UNDER-15 OCEANIA IN STYLE AGAINST SAMOA

Australian Girls:

Getting the entire tournament underway, Australia scored the first five points of the game and then went on a 21-3 run to end the first quarter.

They kept their foot on the pedal throughout the game, hitting a high of 37 points in the third quarter and holding their opponents to single-digit scoring in every period as they went on to secure a 111-29 victory.

Every Australia hit the scoreboard and nobody played more than 22 minutes with Charlise Dunn (19 points) pacing the team while Piper Dunlop had 15 points and Kate Deeble (13 points), Paige Price (12 points) and Alana Goodchild (11 points) all showcased their three-point shooting as well.

Indiah Bowyer starred at the defensive end with four steals and Australia were particularly impressive in containing Samoa’s possessions as they finished with 30 less shot attempts.

Find the box score here.

The girls now back up against New Zealand tomorrow at 2pm AEDT and that game will be live-streamed via FIBA’s YouTube channel.

You can also watch a replay of their game against Samoa below.

Australian Boys:

The boys did not find the going as easy as their compatriots, falling behind by three points early while the lead changed hands four times in the first half.

They gained some separation with a 6-2 run to end the first term and then moved in front by double-digits midway through the second.

However, Samoa responded with a 14-4 run themselves to make it just a two-point game at the main break despite the best efforts of Michael Walker (15 points, nine rebounds) and Josh Duach (16 points, seven boards, four steals).

From there, the Australians took control though as they tightened up their defence and restricted Samoa to just one field goal in over seven minutes of play.

Matthew Wacher (six points, six rebounds), Matthew Thomson (five points, two steals) and Sejr Deans (16 points) then combined to score 11 points in the final three minutes of the quarter.

With all the momentum, Australia claimed the final term 30-4 as they went on to win 90-49 after shaking off a few cobwebs in their opening clash.

Find the box score here.

They now face a double-header tomorrow in their busiest period of the tournament, taking on Fiji at 1pm AEDT and then Guam at 6pm with that game live-streamed via FIBA.

This competition is the first step for the Australian Sapphires and Crocs on their way to the 2020 FIBA Under-17 World Cup’s.

If they finish in the top two of the Under-15 Oceania Championship, Australia will qualify for the Under-16 Asian Championships next year and a top-four finish there will secure a place at the Under-17 World Cup.

All games on Court 1 at the Under-15 Oceania’s will be live-streamed and you can find a schedule of Australia’s games for the girls and boys below. Please note the altered schedule with Tonga a late omission from the tournament.

The 2018 Boys and Girls Schedules for the FIBA Under-15 Oceania Championships (all times AEDT):

December 4: Australian Girls def. Samoa (111-29)
December 4: Australian Boys def. Samoa (90-49)
December 5: Australian Boys vs. Fiji at 1pm
December 5: Australian Girls vs. New Zealand at 2pm (Live-Streamed)
December 5: Australian Boys vs. Guam at 6pm (Live-Streamed)
December 6: Australian Girls vs. Fiji at 11am
December 6: Australian Boys vs. New Zealand at 4pm (Live-Streamed)
December 6: Australian Girls vs. Papua New Guinea at 8pm (Live-Streamed)
December 7: Australian Boys vs. Papua New Guinea at 8pm (Live-Streamed)
December 8: Australian Girls Medal Games. Bronze at 2pm, Gold at 6pm (Live-Streamed)
December 8: Australian Boys Medal Games. Bronze at 4pm, Gold at 8pm (Live-Streamed)

The post AUSSIES START FIBA UNDER-15 OCEANIA IN STYLE AGAINST SAMOA appeared first on Basketball Australia.

The Australian girls and boys teams have each claimed victories over Samoa to begin their FIBA Under-15 Oceania Championships campaign in style.

The post AUSSIES START FIBA UNDER-15 OCEANIA IN STYLE AGAINST SAMOA appeared first on Basketball Australia.