WA teens lead Australia to Gold
After defeating Guam in the semi-finals by 26 points, the Australian men were poised to meet New Zealand in a gold medal showdown.
New Zealand got through to the final over New Caledonia by seven in their semi-final, setting up for what promised to be a hard-fought contest between the two Oceanic neighbours.
New Zealand had plenty of offense in the first term, but were unable to convert, shooting 19 per cent from the field. They got to line nine times in the first quarter, but could only convert three of them.
At the other end of the floor, the Australians were more measured and subsequently more accurate, shooting 40 per cent from the floor to take a handy 16-11 lead into the second term.
Things got worse for New Zealand offensively after quarter time. Australia held them to just four points for the quarter, as the Aussies extended their lead to 11, heading into the change-rooms up 26-15.
New Zealand lifted their intensity in the second half, but could only match Australia on the scoreboard, the Aussies taking an 11-point lead into the final term, which is how the score remained at the final buzzer, the Australians taking the memorable win and the gold medal.
Dante Exum capped off a fantastic tournament, top-scoring for the game with 17 points. Joshua Derkson finished with 12 points and eight boards, while Nathan Smith added six points and 12 rebounds.
Thomas Vodanovich was solid for New Zealand, scoring 12 points. Alexander Talma finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, while Matthew Lacey finished with 10 points, six rebounds and five assists.
In the Women’s Final, both teams came out fighting in the first term, with the Aussies taking a slender lead into quarter time, 15-12.
The second went much more in the favours of Australia, as they held New Zealand to just 11 field goal attempts to win the quarter by seven to lead by 10 at the long change.
After an even third term, New Zealand stepped up in the last quarter, making one last run at the gold medal. Despite attacking the Aussies and seeing much more of the offensive play, they were unable to catch them, Australia taking the game and the gold medal by six a the final buzzer.
Casey Jo Samuels was dominant for Australia; she finished with 18 points and 10 boards. Both Darcee Lee Garbin and Kathryn Rendell finished with nine apiece.
For New Zealand, Aleesha Coulter top-scored with 18 points, while Brooke Blair had 16 points. Jaime-Lee Tito was solid, finishing with 12.
The wins end a successful campaign for Australia as they can now look ahead towards the 2011 FIBA Youth World Championships.
Article by Basketball Australia
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