Australia stamped its dominance to remain undefeated in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, cruising past Jordan, 126-93, on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Boomers remained perfect in the qualifiers, improving to 8-0 in Group E and retaining the top spot ahead of New Zealand, which defeated Syria earlier in the day.
“We’ll always bring the best available talent based on where guys are out with their domestic responsibilities. We know the importance of these games and the larger picture of how it can impact [our chances at] Qatar next year,” said Australia head coach Jacob Chance.
Much like their rout of Syria on Friday, Australia came out firing, opening the game with a 12-0 run in the first quarter. The Falcons struggled to contain the Boomers’ offensive onslaught as Australia took a commanding 63-41 lead into halftime.
The Boomers remained relentless after the break, stretching their advantage to 30 points, 97-67, by the eight-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
Jordan failed to mount a significant comeback, with usual scorers Jalen Harris and Freddy Ibrahim held to single-digit outputs until the start of the fourth period.
“We saw Jordan play the other night, and how well they can run their offense if you give them the chance, particularly through Freddy and Jalen. To come out and be as disruptive as we were early was a pleasing sign and we were able to keep them out of their offensive flow,” Chance added.
National team debutant Anthony Dell’Orso led the Boomers in scoring with 19 points on 58 percent shooting, while Angus Glover and Elijah Pepper added 16 and 15 points, respectively.
Josh Bannan and Tom Wilson rounded out Australia’s double-digit scorers, chipping in 14 and 13 points, respectively.
For Jordan, Amin Abu Hawwas topped the Falcons with 21 points, while Abdullah Olajuwon and Jalen Harris each finished with 19.
However, for head coach Luis Guil, the experience of playing against one of the top teams in the world was something Jordan needed moving forward in the qualifiers.
“I think it’s good for us [and] the federation. Our goal is to keep working for qualification to Qatar,” the Jordan tactician said.
The loss dropped the Falcons to fourth in Group E at 5-3, as they went winless during the fourth window.
The fifth qualifying window will take place from November 27 to 30.
The Scores:
Australia 110 – Dell’Orso 19, Glover 16, Pepper 14, Bannan 13, Wilson 11, Kay 8, Travers 7, Mackinnon 6, Froling 6, Krebs 6, Daniels 4, Holt 0.
Jordan 78 – Hawwas 21, Harris 14, Olajuwon 13, Saleh 10, Ibrahim 7, Dwairi 6, Salman 3, Kilani 2, Alshami 2, Alhamarsheh 0.
Quarterscores: 29-16, 63-41, 91-64, 110-78.
