Boomers Advance to Stankovic Cup Final
The Boomers will meet Angola in the final of the Stankovic Cup after disposing of China 69-62 on their home court.
The Boomers were slow out of the blocks against a formidable Chinese outfit that scored the first ten points of the match. However the Boomers recovered and the deficit stood at just four points at quarter time.
The Aussies changed their tactics slightly in the second quarter, opting for a more mobile and pacey line up, and it worked a treat and the Boomers were able to take a six point lead into half time.
The Chinese lifted in the third quarter and pulled the margin back to single point at the end of the third quarter, but the Boomers showed their class late in the game to eventually win the match by seven points.
“It was one of those special wins. Our defence worked extremely hard and we were able to get the win,” said Boomers coach Brett Brown.
“They had Jianlian, their best player right now, and I thought our guys did a terrific job of guarding him, and I was proud of our defence and our ability to withstand the early onslaught.
“We got down to a ten nothing at the start of the game, and to the fellas’ credit, they fought it out. There were good defensive periods where we went back to who we are, and it’s just fantastic to be able to play in the Championship game.”
US College basketball sensation Mat Dellavedova shone for the Boomers with a total of 18 points in which he shot 100 per cent from outside the arc.
Brown said that he thought Dellavedova and Stephen Weigh had their best ever games for the Boomers, while he also praise the effort of Jesse Wagstaff.
The Boomers will now meet Angola in the final of the Stankovic Cup after the African nations secured their passage to the final with a victory over Russia. It promises to be an entertaining final between the Angolan side that won the Stankovic Cup in 2008 and 2009 champions Australia. The Boomers faced off against Angola in the group phase of the tournament and were able to secure a 76-68 win.
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