Boomers name 12 for Olympic qualifiers - Sep 6, 2011 (by Eurobasket News)
The 12-man Australian Boomers mens national basketball team that will take on archrivals New Zealand in the Olympic qualification tournament starting tomorrow night in Melbourne has been named, and includes NBA superstar Patty Mills, as well as seven European-based players, three local National Basketball League heros and one young college athlete [read more]
The 12-man Australian Boomers mens national basketball team that will take on archrivals New Zealand in the Olympic qualification tournament starting tomorrow night in Melbourne has been named, and includes NBA superstar Patty Mills, as well as seven European-based players, three local National Basketball League heros and one young college athlete.
Mills, who recently signed to play for the NBLs Melbourne Tigers while his Portland Trail Blazers NBA team is in lock-out, headlines a team that also has a wealth of international talent.
Boomers captain Matthew Nielsen joins fellow European-based Aussies Joe Ingles, Brad Newley, David Barlow, Aron Baynes, Aleks Maric and AJ Ogilvy in the team that will play the Tall Blacks for a ticket to the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Also named in the team were three NBL stars Mark Worthington and Adam Gibson of the Gold Coast Blaze and Damian Martin of the Perth Wildcats. Rising star guard Matthew Dellavedova of St Marys college, who impressed during the Boomers recent successful European tour, was the sole college player named to the team.
Game One of the FIBA Oceania Championship series, which is to be played as a unique double-header with the Jayco Opals, will be held tomorrow night (Wednesday 7 September) in Melbourne at the State Netball Hockey Centre (AKA The Cage) and has already sold-out of all general admission tickets. Game Two will be at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on 9 September and Game Three at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on 11 September.
Tickets for the Sydney game are on sale now through Ticketmaster, while tickets to the Brisbane game are now being sold through Ticketek.
Click here for more details on the Boomers and Opals double-header against New Zealand.
2011 FIBA Oceania Championship for Men and Women 7 Sept 2011 FIBA Oceania Championship for Men (vs. NZ) Game 1, Melbourne 9 Sept 2011 FIBA Oceania Championship for Men (vs. NZ) Game 2, Brisbane 11 Sept 2011 FIBA Oceania Championship for Men (vs. NZ) Game 3, Sydney
Tall Blacks win second FIBA Oceania Championship - Aug 25, 2009 (by Eurobasket News)
Game 2: New Zealand - Australia 100-78
The National Team of New Zealand demonstrated impressive performance tonight in Wellington smashing the Australian NT 100-78. Kirk Penney (194-G-80, college: Wisconsin) was on fire in the winning squad with 24 points. He also handed out 10 assists beside that and needed 3 more rebounds to reach triple-double. It is important to say that this 22-point win is the biggest margin which Tall Blacks ever made against the Boomers [read more]
Game 2: New Zealand - Australia 100-78
The National Team of New Zealand demonstrated impressive performance tonight in Wellington smashing the Australian NT 100-78. Kirk Penney (194-G-80, college: Wisconsin) was on fire in the winning squad with 24 points. He also handed out 10 assists beside that and needed 3 more rebounds to reach triple-double. It is important to say that this 22-point win is the biggest margin which Tall Blacks ever made against the Boomers. Australia celebrated in the first game 84-77 and they were looking to win or even to loose with less than 8 points, but New Zealand was great today. Except of Penney, Mika Vukona (197-F-82) also shined in victory collecting 25 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Alex Pledger (216-C-87, college: Belm.Abbey) added 15 pts and 13 boards. Brad Newley (199-G-85) responded with 20 points and 5 rebounds in defeat. Nathan Jawai (207-C-86, college: Midland CC) had 17 points and 9 boards, while A.J. Ogilvy (211-C-88) contributed with 14 pts. Hero from Game 1, Joe Ingles (203-G/F-87, agency: Priority Sports) stopped on 13 pts, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. The first half was a tightly fought affair, with the Tall Blacks leading 17-16 at quarter time, and the Boomers in front 40-38 at the long break thanks to consecutive steal and dunks to Ingles and Newley in the final minute. When reserve guard Mike Fitchett hit a deep buzzer beating three the score at the final change was 74-55 and New Zealand had no troubles to keep comfortable lead until the end. Both countries qualified for the FIBA World Championship 2010 in Turkey. What is very important, New Zealand takes Oceania's first seed into the tournament.
Boomers go one up on Tall Blacks - Aug 24, 2009 (by Eurobasket News)
Australia's men's basketball team has overcome a physical New Zealand Tall Blacks side to win the opening game of the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship in Sydney by seven points, 84-77.
Trailing by three points at three-quarter time, the Boomers rode the hot shooting hand of Beijing Olympian Joe Ingles (203-G/F-87, agency: Priority Sports) in the final period to get over a committed New Zealand outfit for the hard earned victory [read more]
Australia's men's basketball team has overcome a physical New Zealand Tall Blacks side to win the opening game of the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship in Sydney by seven points, 84-77.
Trailing by three points at three-quarter time, the Boomers rode the hot shooting hand of Beijing Olympian Joe Ingles (203-G/F-87, agency: Priority Sports) in the final period to get over a committed New Zealand outfit for the hard earned victory.
Ingles scored ten points in a blistering three minutes midway through the fourth quarter and finished with a game high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting including four three-pointers.
Dallas Mavericks forward Nathan Jawai (207-C-86, college: Midland CC) was a force in the paint and finished with 17 points and a game high 11 rebounds while Beijing Olympian Brad Newley (199-G-85) added 13 points and 5 rebounds, with ten of those points coming in the second half.
Kirk Penney (194-G-80, college: Wisconsin) led New Zealand with 23 points but only two of his points came in the fourth quarter after young guard Matthew Dellavedova (189-G-90) did an outstanding defensive effort shutting down the potent Tall Blacks guard.
Boomers head coach Brett Brown admitted being nervous in the second half and was surprised that New Zealand won the battle of the boards, but reserved special mention for his game winning shooting guard.
We were down going into the last period and Joey, through some individual brilliance, bailed us out of some potential problems, Brown said.
We have a team that is physically gifted so I was surprised that they got the better of us on the boards, particularly the offensive boards, but youve got to give New Zealand credit, they were an aggressive, tenacious team.
We are on a bit of a youth kick but our young group closed out the game in veteran fashion.
Australias victory was even sweeter considering Beijing Olympian Mark Worthington was a late withdrawal due to a foot injury.
Hes done for the series and from a coaching standpoint that really threw me into a tailspin, Brown said. He is a grenade at the minute to the system.
Brown also made mention of 18-year old point guard Dellavedova and his tenacious, aggressive defence.
Dellavedova was tough and he came in and played great defence on Kirk Penney. Thats a hell of an assignment for a young kid to roll out at this stage of his career.
Tall Blacks centre Alex Pledger scored the opening points of the game on a strong drive to the basket but when Joe Ingles hit two three pointers and finished a fast break the Boomers were up 8-4.
Penney then reeled off three long range bombs in quick succession and New Zealand was ahead 17-13 before Nathan Jawai asserted his presence inside. He finished with nine points for the quarter as Australia took a 25-21 lead into the first break.
New Zealand scored the first four points of the second quarter before James Harvey connected on a three pointer to put the Boomers back in front. Australia then upped the ante in defence and began scoring off turnovers as the lead pushed out to eight mid way through the stanza.
Australia extended the margin to ten points approaching half time before fatigue set in and the Tall Blacks responded with a run that reduced the lead to one point at the half, 43-42.
Ingles had a game high 16 points at half time, Jawai had 11 points and an equal game high 5 rebounds and Baynes had four blocks for Australia while Penney had 12 points to lead the Tall Blacks, who won the first half rebound count 23-14.
Mika Vukona scored first in the second half and Pledger followed with a rainbow set shot to put the Tall Blacks in front by three before Oscar Forman nailed a three to tie things up.
The see-saw tussle continued before Penney and Tait got to the hole on consecutive possessions to put the Tall Blacks up by five with 4:55 remaining in the quarter.
The physical battle fired up the crowd and when Newley connected on a three and Jawai skied for a rebound and put back the level the scores again they were in full voice, but they were silenced when guard Mike Fitchett nailed a buzzer beating three to end the third quarter with New Zealand ahead by three, 64-61.
Penney had nine points for the third quarter to take him to a game leading 21 points while Forman had seven for Australia in the period, but it was Jawai starting the scoreboard in the final period with two free throws to reduce the margin to one point.
Australia had good chances to take the lead but could not finish close to the hole while the Tall Blacks did just enough to stay in front until Ingles hit his third three of the game in transition and followed it with a long jump shot to put the Boomers up by four, 70-66 with 5:43 remaining.
Ingles scored his third basket on the trot with a mid range fadeaway to put the Boomers up by six then drained a three pointer to make it four in a row before Abercrombie stopped the rot with the Tall Blacks down seven.
But the New Zealand spirit had been crushed by Ingles and Ogilvy and Newley stepped up to finish off the Tall Blacks, setting the stage for a FIBA Oceania Championship series victory on Tuesday in New Zealand.
New Zealand won the rebound count 45-31 after it was tied 8-8 after one quarter.
Quarter by quarter: 1. AUS 25 NZL 21 H: AUS 43 NZL 42 (18-21) 3: NZL 64 AUS 61 (18-22) F: AUS 84 NZL 77 (20-16) Starters: AUS: Gibson, Newley, Ingles, Forman, Ogilvy NZ: Tait, Penney, Vukona, Abercrombie, Pledger
AUSTRALIA 84 (Joe Ingles 26, Nathan Jawai 17, Brad Newley 13) bt NEW ZEALAND 77 (Kirk Penney 23, Alex Pledger 16, Lindsay Tait 12) at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre Crowd: 2178
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