The Australian women's basketball team scored a convincing 84-53 win over China in their opening game of the pre-Olympics tournament in France.
Lauren Jackson was on song with a 17-point haul, while Belinda Snell was a handy contributor with 16 points.
The victory was set up through a dominant opening two quarters with the Boomers having taken a 45-18 lead into half-time.
Tags: basketball, sport, olympics-summer, france First posted July 21, 2012 13:28:05A stunning string of four three-pointers from Australian guard Peter Crawford steered the Boomers to a 66-55 win over China in Perth on Saturday night in game one of their three-match basketball series.
As both sides continue preparations for the upcoming London Olympics, Townsville guard Crawford top-scored with 21 points to give national selectors something to think about as they prepare to cut the squad further in the next two weeks.
China got off to a solid start at Challenge Stadium when they hit the first two baskets and held a narrow advantage until Crawford nailed the first of his five three-pointers.
A three-point bomb on the quarter-time buzzer from China's Guo Ailun (15 points) reduced the Boomers' lead to two points after they led by seven just 90 seconds before the first break.
Defensively the Boomers were inspired, but at the other end the shooting was timid as they converted just four of their 15 attempts.
Chinese big man Han Dejun was given his first minutes in the second term and made them count, starting China's run of four unanswered baskets that helped the visitors to a seven-point lead at half-time.
Shooting at just 21 per cent in the first half, the Boomers picked up the pace in the third term and a tip-in from Mark Worthington (11 points) in the dying seconds cut China's lead to just one point at the final change.
But it was Crawford's sizzling performance from outside the arc in the fourth quarter that sealed the game and ultimately a comfortable 11-point margin.
Game two of the series is in Albany, south of Perth, on Monday and returns to Perth on Wednesday.
AAP
Tags: sport, basketball, perth-6000, wa, australia First posted June 09, 2012 19:52:32Australia's men's basketball team recorded a thrilling series-clinching 69-65 win over China on Monday night in Albany.
The Boomers, who defeated China 66-55 in the first game on Saturday night, led at every break but had to overcome a sluggish start to the second quarter to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game series.
Guard Matthew Dellavedova, looking to shine in the absence of star Patty Mills, finished with 11 points and two clutch free-throws at the death.
The two sides meet again on Wednesday, but Mills will not join his team-mates until they arrive in Melbourne for final London Olympic preparations - a three-match series against Greece later this month.
Mills, who was involved in the NBA playoffs with the San Antonio Spurs, looked to be sorely missed in the opening half.
China had eased to a 13-point lead in the second term and the hosts' shooting had slumped to 30 per cent before they rediscovered their mojo.
The Boomers went on a 14-0 run to end the first half, and were never headed despite some tense moments in the final quarter.
The two sides traded baskets in the dying moments before Aron Baynes delivered a telling lay-up with 32 seconds left on the clock, giving the Boomers a five-point advantage.
A three-pointer from China's Sun Yue, the game's top-scorer with 22 points, ensured more drama but young gun Dellavedova iced the game with less than 10 seconds remaining.
Dellavedova was sent to the line and made both free-throws to put the game out of reach.
Baynes top-scored for Australia with 15 points.
AAP
Tags: basketball, sport, albany-6330, wa, australia, china First posted June 12, 2012 07:54:35Boomers point guard Patty Mills is optimistic his move to China will pay big dividends for Australia in the lead-up to the 2012 London Olympics and pave the way for a return to the NBA.
Mills joined Xinjiang Flying Tigers, leaving NBL team Melbourne Tigers, last month on a deal reportedly worth upwards of $1 million before the NBA lock-out was resolved and a season start date set for Christmas Day.
Without an opt-out clause in his contract, Mills cannot return to the NBA until the end of the Chinese season in March.
His future with NBA team Portland Trail Blazers uncertain, Mills felt China was the best option and the bonus for Australia's Olympic campaign is his greatly increased court time as a starting player with the Flying Tigers.
Mills wasted no time making his presence felt, scoring a game-high 42 points in a 121-108 victory over Tianjin Rong in his team's most recent outing.
Agent Bruce Kaider says Mills "absolutely" retains the long-term goal of playing in the NBA.
"There were no guarantees in Portland. He would've had to go back there and fight for a spot and he may not have even been in Portland," Kaider said.
"He probably wouldn't have played the minutes he will in China.
"Certainly leading into London 2012 I think it's important for Patty and the Australian men's program that Patty is actually playing minutes and working on his game and developing his game."
Mills announced himself as an NBA talent when he helped Australia reach the quarter-finals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and he was drafted by Portland in 2009.
Kaider is confident if the dynamic guard can continue his current form through until the Olympics in July, NBA scouts will again take notice.
"Beijing was his coming out Olympics where people got to see him and what he could do for the first time really at an international event at that level," Kaider said.
"I think London is going to be the evolution of Patty, where he's developed, how he can lead his team and how he can progress the Boomers beyond where they've been in the past.
"Without putting too much pressure on Patty, London is going to be a really important milestone for the next five years of his career."
AAP
Tags: basketball, sport, china First posted December 05, 2011 15:39:04The Australian women's basketball team proved it has plenty of firepower without star Lauren Jackson, annihilating a near-full strength China 98-72 in Cairns on Saturday night.
After two tough victories in Logan and Townsville earlier this week the Australians had it all their own way to seal a perfect 3-0 series result.
A 12-point run from the Opals in the second-quarter killed the hopes of the visitors with every player clocking good minutes in a display sure to give head coach Carrie Graf confidence heading into Olympic qualifiers in September.
Abby Bishop (20 points) did the damage in the first half before Suzy Batkovic (19 points) took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second in her trademark brutal fashion.
With the game wrapped up Kristen Veal added the icing with back-to-back triples to help nudge the margin to a game high 30.
Lijie Miao was the game's top scorer with 23 points for the Chinese but her efforts could not stop the all-round Australian dominance.
The Australians matched the physicality of the Chinese women but also showed they had pace too, moving well from defence.
Guards Kristen Veal, Hanna Zavecz and Carly Wilson had the Chinese offence worked out in what was their third clash inside a week, managing to grab regular intercepts despite the presence of giant 207cm centre Wei Wei.
Together they stifled the visitors, going on a 12-point run to set up a lead of 17 at the main break.
The Opals tinkered with their line-up from the outset, injecting bench trio Cayla Francis, Jessica Bibby and Batkovic after five minutes.
They were up to the task and helped the Australians take a five point lead into the second quarter.
Opals top scorer Bishop was reluctant to take credit for the win, saying it was a matter of just doing her bit.
"Someone steps up each game, we all do our job and I think we're happy with where we are at as a group leading into these qualifiers," she said.
Graf paid tribute to her side's stamina and depth.
"I think we wore them down a bit in the end," she said.
"Each of these girls is going to be part of the Opals set up, some will definitely be in that Olympic team but some further down the track and they are all showing that they deserve to be there by how they are performing at the moment."
AAP
Tags: basketball, sport, cairns-4870, qld, australia, china First posted July 30, 2011 21:20:55The Australian men's basketball team opened the London International Basketball Invitational with a convincing 71-43 thrashing of China on Tuesday to continue their tune-up before the 2012 London Olympics.
Playing in the first ever game of international basketball held in the newly built London Basketball Arena in Olympic Park, the Boomers were well served by Townsville Crocodiles forward Peter Crawford who top-scored with 15 points.
David Barlow added 14 points for Australia, while AJ Ogilvy finished with 11.
Despite fielding one of the more competitive teams that China has put on the floor in some time, which included Washington Wizards NBA power forward Yi Jianlian, Australia were always in control.
The Chinese side seemed out of sorts early as the Boomers set about breaking out to an early lead, which the stretched to 32-19 at the half.
The second half saw more of the same action, with Australia continuing to attack before running away with the 28-point win, while also outrebounding the tall Chinese team 43-26.
And they did it without having to call on star playmaker Patty Mills who, like team-mates Joe Ingles, Aleks Maric and Brad Newley, took no part in the game.
"I'm trying to avoid playing our key players in three consecutive games," Boomers head coach Brett Brown explained.
"I'm trying to have those guys peak both on the court and physically in the build-up to September 7 and the New Zealand series, so it's a little bit of a trick trying to balance that out with seven games in 11 days.
"I thought that it was as good an effort defensively that we've played. The guards were excellent, particularly on the rebounding."
The Boomers will face a much sterner test tomorrow when they face France, one of the tournament heavyweights, who boast NBA stars Joakim Noah, Tony Parker and Nicholas Batum.
Coach Brown said he would rest Mark Worthington and the impressive Damian Martin, who picked up a team-high six assists and seven rebounds against China, for the clash.
Brown said the biggest issue would be keeping the team in top shape despite the heavy workload in London, in preparation for the FIBA Oceania Championship against New Zealand which tips off in Melbourne on September 7 and could see them qualify for the London games.
"That's probably going to be the greatest mission over the next nine days: just making sure we build towards September 7," he continued.
"We have to be smart with it and you cant take your eye off the ball.
"You want to win games and you can't fall into that trap of being complacent. It's a long process and we've got to be smart, and in doing that, you simply can't overlook that physical side."
AAP
Tags: basketball, sport, england, china, australia First posted August 17, 2011 06:26:17Australia will take a largely inexperienced 12-man squad to next month's Stankovic Cup basketball tournament in China.
The squad is headlined by highly-rated teenagers Hugh Greenwood and Anthony Drmic, who were both members of the Australian Emus team at the recent under-19 world championship.
The pair will join veteran players such as Adam Gibson, Mark Worthington and Luke Schenscher while Melbourne Tiger Cameron Tragardh also earned a spot after impressing at this week's training camp on the Gold Coast.
Boomers head coach Brett Brown said he was pleased with the progress made at the camp and excited at the prospect of testing out his team against strong competition at the Stankovic Cup, which will be held in the Chinese city of Haining.
"Each camp gets a little bit easier to form the team," said Brown, who will have to make do in the tournament without NBA stars Patty Mills and Andrew Bogut.
"The familiarity, me with them and them with me, just enables us to get a little bit cleaner with both offensive and defensive structures and I'm excited with the group we selected.
"The Stankovic Cup is just a very respected tournament, it's been going on for a number of years. We appreciate the invitation to once again be a part of it."
The Boomers' Stankovic Cup campaign begins against Russia on August 1 before further matches against Angola on August 2 and China on August 3.
The final will be held on August 4.
The tournament is a vital part of the Boomers' preparations for their all-important Olympic qualification series against New Zealand in September.
Boomers squad: Peter Crawford, Matthew Dellavedova, Anthony Drmic, Adam Gibson, Hugh Greenwood, Luke Nevill, Luke Schenscher, Nate Tomlinson, Cameron Tragardh, Jesse Wagstaff, Stephen Weigh, Mark Worthington.
AAP
Tags: basketball, sport, china, australia First posted July 29, 2011 18:47:19Dual Olympic silver-medallist Suzy Batkovic will headline an under-strength Opals squad for a three-game series against China later this month.
The team, missing several big names including WNBA stars such as Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor, will take on China on July 24 in Logan, on July 28 in Townsville and in Cairns on July 30.
The series will serve as perfect preparation for September's FIBA Oceania Series against New Zealand, the winner of which will gain direct entry into the 2012 London Olympics.
Batkovic, along with 2010 FIBA world championship team members Abby Bishop and Marianna Tolo, will provide key international experience for the team.
Coach Carrie Graf said Bishop, Tolo and Batkovic will complement Australian-based players such as Jessica Bibby and the team's youngest player Tess Madgen.
"This is certainly an emerging talent group, but there is also a great deal of experience in this list, and great depth particularly at the post," she said.
"Players like Abby Bishop and Marianna Tolo, both members of our 2010 World Championship team, will be looking to continue their great form, and Elyse Penaluna is another talented tall who has performed well in camp and on tour recently.
"Then you add a 'big' with the experience and skill-level of dual Olympian Suzy Batkovic and we feel confident that we have the size to give the fans in Queensland a good showing against China.
Australia: Suzy Batkovic, Abby Bishop, Jessica Bibby, Stephanie Cumming, Cayla Francis, Rachael Flanagan, Tess Madgen, Elyse Penaluna, Marianna Tolo, Kristen Veal, Carly Wilson, Hanna Zavecz.
- AAP
Tags: basketball, sport, china First posted July 13, 2011 20:14:41The under-strength Boomers side, which featured just three members of the team that competed in last year's World Championships, struggled against their more experienced opponents at times but held off a late comeback to earn the win.
China trailed by seven points with just two minutes left in regulation time, but tied the score with 23 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime after Daniel Kickert missed his attempted game-winner as time expired.
But it mattered little as China's Shipeng Wang's three-point attempt to win the game at the end of overtime bounced off the rim and Australia held on.
In an experimental line-up from Australian coach Brett Brown, which was missing the likes of Andrew Bogut and Patrick Mills, it was some of his more experienced players who led the Boomers to victory.
Perth Wildcats guard Damian Martin impressed in front of his home fans, helping Australia to victory with 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Melbourne Tigers centre Luke Nevill (20 points and 13 rebounds) also played well as the Boomers warmed up for September's qualifying series for the London Olympics against New Zealand.
Wang's outside shooting proved a major thorn in Australia's side, hitting four three-pointers on his way to 22 points for a China team which was without NBA stars Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian.
Australia was impressive early and jumped out to a five-point quarter-time lead, but China, which is ranked 10th in the world, just one place behind the Boomers, lifted its game late in the second to cut a nine-point deficit to just one at the half.
China carried its momentum into the start of the third quarter to extend its advantage to six early in the period.
But the hosts fought back with 17 of the first 23 points in the final quarter and appeared to be on course for a comfortable win before China's miraculous comeback sent the game to an overtime period where Australia narrowly held on.
Game two of the series is in Singapore on Sunday.
- AAP
Tags: sport, basketball, australia, wa, perth-6000, chinaAustralia has defeated China in the first of a two-match international basketball series in Perth.
Tags: basketball, australiaThe Australian men's basketball team has taken a 2-0 win in the two-match international series against China in Singapore.
Tags: basketball, australia, china, singaporeThe Boomers capitalised on an error-strewn performance by China to add to Friday's narrow 67-65 win in Perth.
Captain David Barlow crashed a series of three-pointers as Australia were on top 32-26 at half-time.
China turned over the ball 17 times in total as they failed to find a way back into the game.
"As a team we're stoked to come out and not only be able to compete at a high level but to be able to beat China, which is such a powerful team, in two games," said Barlow, who was named player of the game.
China did not field ex-NBA star Wang Zhizhi on Sunday and are missing giant Houston Rockets centre Yao Ming due to a long-term foot injury which threatens to end his career.
The games, which serve as a build-up to this year's Asian and Oceania championships, will expand to a three-match series played in Australia, China and an as-yet-unconfirmed Southeast Asian venue next year.
- AFP
Tags: sport, basketball, australia, china, singapore First posted June 28, 2011 08:03:00The 'YouYi Games' will see the Boomers (ranked ninth in the world) clash with China (10th) in Perth on June 24, before the series moves to Singapore on June 26.
An initiative of ex-Boomers star Andrew Vlahov, the YouYi Games will become a yearly competition.
The friendlies will serve as crucial preparation for Australia's FIBA Oceania Olympic qualification series with New Zealand, which is scheduled for September.
Australia needs to defeat the Tall Blacks to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games.
"We have always enjoyed a competitive, respectful relationship with China and we are anxious to continue this in our two-game series," Boomers coach Brett Brown said.
Australia will field a youthful side made up predominantly of NBL players.
China's star centre Yao Ming is recovering from a broken foot which has kept him out of most of the 2010-2011 NBA season.
However Wang Zhizhi, the first Chinese basketballer to play in the NBA, is expected to make the trip.
The games will follow the Boomers' first training camp for the year in Perth from June 19-23.
A squad of 16 has been invited to Perth, which will be cut to 12 for the matches against China.
Australia's squad: Adam Gibson, Damian Martin, Jason Cadee, Ben Madgen, Clint Steindl, Daniel Dillon, Peter Crawford, David Barlow, Daniel Kickert, Jesse Wagstaff, Luke Nevill, Stephen Weigh, Julian Khazzouh, Matt Knight, Anatoly Bose, Aron Baynes.
- AAP
Tags: sport, basketball, australia, china