EMERGING OPALS CLINCH WIN ON OPENING DAY OF 2019 WORLD UNI GAMES
Australia’s front court had an advantage all night and Alex Sharp (15 points, nine rebounds) went to work quickly, scoring eight points in the first five minutes to get the Emerging Opals off to the perfect start.
That helped them gain a 25-12 lead at quarter-time and while Finland found their three-point range in the second term, Australia’s dominance in the paint kept the scoreboard ticking over at the other end.
Ezi Magbegor (17 points, eight rebounds) and Lauren Scherf (12 points, eight boards, five assists) combined to keep the Emerging Opals up by double-digits and they continued to go to work out of the main break.
Getting looks close to the rim and several second chance opportunities thanks to 12 total offensive rebounds, Australia used a 10-2 run to push the game beyond Finland’s reach.
Their team defence was suffocating as well, restricting their opponents to just five points for the period.
Finland did not give in and were able to find their offence again, trimming the margin to 14 down the stretch but the damage had been done as the Emerging Opals ultimately secured a 17-point victory.
Maddison Rocci tallied five points, two assists and two steals while Keely Froling also impressed, scoring 13 points to help Australia finish with a 52-12 advantage in the paint as all 11 players saw court time.
Find the stats here.
During the game, the Emerging Opals showed their support for Tiana Mangakahia following her brave announcement that she is undergoing treatment for breast cancer and the thoughts of the team as well as the entire Basketball Australia family are with Tiana.
The Emerging Opals continue their tournament late on Thursday night against Canada while the Emerging Boomers begin their World Uni Games campaign against Israel at the same time.
Find stats and results from the entire tournament here and stay tuned for updates regarding live-streaming.
The Emerging Opals and Emerging Boomers Schedule for the 2019 World Uni Games:
July 3: Emerging Opals def. Finland 68-51
July 5: Emerging Opals vs. Canada at 1.30am
July 5: Emerging Boomers vs. Israel at 1.30am
July 5: Emerging Opals vs. China at 6.30pm
July 5: Emerging Boomers vs. Mexico at 6.30pm
July 7: Emerging Boomers vs. Czech Republic at 4am
July 8: Emerging Opals’ Quarter-Finals at 1.30am or 4am
July 8/9: Emerging Boomers’ Quarter-Finals at 1.30am or 4am
July 9: Emerging Opals’ Semi-Finals at 1.30am or 4am
July 10: Emerging Boomers’ Semi-Finals at 1.30am or 4am
July 11: Emerging Opals’ medal games at 1.30am and 4am
July 12: Emerging Boomers’ medal games at 1.30am and 4am
Basketball Australia
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