The Australian Pearls and Boomerangs have begun their 2015 INAS Global Games campaign with a victory coming in between some tough, physical contests.
In the newly introduced 3x3 format, the Pearls have been divided into two teams, Australia Gold and Australia Green. The rules of 3x3 see an intense ten minute game played with a basket worth one point while a normal three-pointer is worth two. The first team to 21 is declared the winner, or whichever side is leading after the allotted ten minutes. The tournament begun with a clash between the two Australian sides with Aus Gold recording a 16-10 victory. A strong performance the following day then saw Aus Gold defeat France, 21-6. Despite exerting a physical presence, the French were no match for Aus Gold as they controlled the match with a combination of speed, composure and a willingness to drive to the basket. Eliza Mills led the scoring with 8.5 points per game while veteran Molly Urquhart-Morgan added five points a game. Following their opening loss, Aus Green were unable to bounce back despite another strong showing, falling to Japan White 14-16. A see-sawing affair was only broken by Japan scoring the final two baskets as Katlin Zonneveld expertly shut down the opposition's main scorer. She also added 4.5 points per game at the offensive end while Aus Green was led in scoring by Kate Leckenby (five points per game). Aus Green will next face France while Aus Gold will play Japan White. The Boomerangs came up against a ferocious French team, falling 43-78 in a steaming hot stadium. In positive news, all four rookies received court time as they look ahead to their next game against Venezuela.
