Still undefeated, Australia moved a step closer to the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup after making quick work of hapless Syria, 123-64, to open its Group E campaign in the Asian Qualifiers on Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The wire-to-wire rout kept the Boomers unbeaten at 7-0 and brought them closer to securing their place in the World Cup, while the Qasioun Eagles dropped to 2-5 and remained at the bottom of the group.
“We knew coming in that Syria was gonna be desperate for a good performance, so I was happy with how our starters came out to set the tone for us defensively,” said head coach Jacob Chance.
Australia wasted no time taking control, opening the game with an 11-0 run and never looking back. The Boomers led by as many as 62 points, 115-53, with 3:49 remaining in the fourth quarter as they dominated Syria in nearly every statistical category.
The Aussies shot 53 percent from the field and connected on 37.84 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.
Elijah Pepper delivered a monster performance with 32 points, while Luke Travers added 14 for Australia. Josh Bannan and Anthony Dell’Orso chipped in 11 points apiece, while Maxwell Mackinnon rounded out the Boomers’ double-digit scorers with 10.
All 11 Australians who saw action scored at least three points.
Dell’Orso and Mackinnon also made their national team debuts in Friday’s game, with Chance particularly impressed by their performances.
“It was awesome to celebrate them during the week and present them with their first jerseys this morning. I thought both came and impacted the game in different ways. It always speaks testament to the work that’s done in the lower levels in our federation and our national framework,” added Chance.
Australia also capitalized heavily on Syria’s miscues, scoring 48 points off 27 turnovers. Pepper and Angus Glover spearheaded the Boomers’ defensive effort, combining for eight of Australia’s 18 steals.
“I thought our defense and our disruption over the course of 40 minutes put us in a really good spot,” the Aussie coach said of his team’s defensive display.
In the 59-point defeat, Memphis-born James Justice Jr. led Syria with 21 points and four assists, while Christian James Maran added 12 points and three rebounds.
Syria’s designated home game was played in the Philippines due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Australia and Syria will face Jordan and the Philippines, respectively, on Sunday as the fourth qualifying window concludes. Both games will be played at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
Australia 123 – Pepper 32, Travers 14, Bannan 11, Dell’Orso 11, Mackinnon 10, Daniels 9, Holt 9, Glover 8, Froling 8, Kay 8, Krebs 3.
Syria 64 – Justice 21, Maran 12, Ali 9, Idelbi 7, Hermes 7, Y. Abdullah 4, Makanas 4, K. Abdullah 0, Arbasha 0, Aljabi 0, Alkordy 0, Alhamwi 0.
Quarterscores: 27-16, 63-27, 93-43, 123-64.
