U-17 OCEANIA CHAMPS DAY 2 REVIEW

Written by Oliver Kay

Boys.
It was another great performance for the Crocs against a Samoan team that showed a lot of fight and defensive determination.

Australia’s half-court defence was clicking early. Their pressing often led to quick offence, with early points coming off the fastbreak. There were some lapses of concentration from Australia in the first quarter as Samoa’s defence did a good job of making the Crocs earn their points in the paint.

During the second quarter, Samoa showed some flashes of good offence but it wasn’t enough to hold off Australia who continued to stack on the points, eventually winning 112-24.

Reyne Smith was the star for Australia. After a quiet game against Guam, Smith exploded for 28 points. 15 of his points came from beyond the arc. He was also a pest on defence, snatching five steals.

Full box score here.

Girls

The Sapphire continued Australia’s good day in their game against Samoa. Australia was relentless in the first quarter, outscoring their opponents 36-0 in the first quarter.

The Sapphires got their eye in from long-range early, drilling four threes in the first ten minutes of play.

After a hail of points in the first quarter, Australia’s offence slowed down slightly. They were able to generate great looks for the whole game but were unable to finish the with the same terrifying regularity.

On defence, the Sapphire remained locked in for the entire game and proved themselves a cut above their competition, winning 99-8.

Gemma Potter was the star in a terrific team effort, finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Full box score here.

Both teams face New Zealand tomorrow in their last pool games. Crocs at 10:00 am and the Sapphires at 12:00 pm (AEST).

The Crocs and the Sapphires continued their dominance in the group stage of the FIBA Under-17 Oceania Championship in New Caledonia, with both teams defeating determined Samoan squads.