Australia turned it up in the second half to beat Qatar 110-82 and sweep their way into the FIBA Asia Cup quarter-finals Sunday at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah.
Qatar entered the game following consecutive losses to Lebanon (84-80) and South Korea (97-83), making the clash against Australia crucial for any remaining qualification hopes. With Sunday’s loss, Qatar are bottom of the four-team group with 3 points and are out of contention.
The reigning two-time champions Australia got going in the third before breaking away shortly after, foiling their foes' upset bid while they went on to clinch the top spot in Group A by collecting their third win in as many games.
Now, the Boomers will wait for the winner between hosts Saudi Arabia and the Philippines in the qualification to quarter-finals today to determine their opponents in the final eight, which starts Wednesday.
"I didn't think we started very well defensively but finished very well defensively," said head coach Adam Caporn. "Particularly in the second half, in the third quarter, when our starters came back. That turned the game for us," added the seasoned mentor.
Five players finished in double figures in the rout, with winger Jaylin Galloway once again showing the way with 24 points behind an excellent 8-of-10 shooting from the floor, which included a pair of three-pointers.
Will Hickey came through with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Reyne Smith also tallied 15 points off the bench after going 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, as he was responsible in giving themselves the lead for good.
As the Aussies struggled to get into their usual flow, the young guard came in and knocked down a pair of treys late in the second, the last of which gave them the 46-43 advantage entering the intermission.
Galloway would then set the tone for the rout, scoring seven in an 8-0 run to open the third canto for a 54-43 lead. They'd go on to pour a total of 31 points in the said period to build a 77-63 lead, never to let up.
Will Magnay supplied 11 points while Jack McVeigh added 10 in the win that saw Australia shoot 56.5-percent thanks to their 21 assists, and win the rebounding battle with 45 to their tally - 13 more than the opposition's.
Brandon Goodwin, on the other hand, registered 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists plus 3 steals to lead Qatar, who started out so strongly and even constructed an 18-13 lead but could not sustain as much.
Tyler Harris made 15 points. Babacar Dieng had 14 points, while Zineeddine Bedri and Alen Hadzibegovic added 13 points apiece as they ended the tournament without a win in the three matches they played.
