A dominant display from the Airbnb Australian Emus has seen them defeat Spain 103-72 to finish in seventh place, with an overall record of 3-4 for the tournament.
Setting the tone from the opening tip, Australia jumped out to a 16-3 lead before owning a nine-point advantage by quarter-time. Tanner Krebs was determined to finish the Championship on a high note, scoring 11 points in the first quarter, almost out-scoring Spain by himself.
With a combination of strong zone defence and some hot long range shooting, the Emus then extended their advantage to 18 by the main break as Krebs, Angus Glover and Kyle Clark all nailed three-pointers in the second term.
Jordan Hunter also made his mark on the game, posterising Pablo Perez with a thunderous dunk. In the third quarter, Spain were able to claw their way back marginally, cutting the lead to 12 but Australia had the ability to respond to any Spanish run.
An alley-oop from William McDowell-White to Deng Gak then kick-started a 37-19 fourth quarter rout as Krebs and Hunter put the icing on the cake with 11 points each in the final term.
Overall, 11 Emus players hit the scoreboard while three reached double figures. Led by Krebs’ 31 points including 7-10 three-point shooting, Jack McVeigh recorded 15 points and Hunter added 14. Angus Glover and McDowell-White held down the back court, combining for 15 points and 11 assists with just three turnovers.
“We were able to put in our best offensive performance as our two young point guards McDowell-White and Glover guided us through the defensive pressure of the Spanish,” said coach Adam Caporn.
“This was critical in winning the game and both those young men have exciting futures in the sport. Krebs had an outstanding game and along with McVeigh kept the scoreboard ticking over for us while Hunter maintained a strong presence around the rim at both ends.”
Box scores from the match can be found here.
Taking an overview of the tournament, Caporn was proud of his team.
“I am really pleased for the group that we were able to finish on such a strong performance. They have really stuck together, prepared and put everything into each game. This game was testament to that commitment and every individual should truly hold their head up high.
“As is the nature of elite sport, the competition is very tight and there is undoubtedly adversity to overcome. We didn’t always get the result we wanted but remained focused and on process. I thought that all of these athletes respected what a great privilege it is to wear the green and gold and they should be proud of the effort they put forth.”
In the spirit of reconciliation Basketball Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.