Boomers thrash Germans at World Titles
One day after coming within a single shot of upsetting world number one Argentina, the Boomers (ranked 11th in the world by FIBA) recorded a stunning 35-point thrashing of the Germans (ranked 7th).
Patrick Mills led the Australian charge with 16 points and seven assists, while Aleks Maric bounced back from a disappointing game against Argentina with 15 points and five rebounds. Former Townsville Crocodile Brad Newley added 10 points as all but two players of the 12-man Australian squad scored in a balanced offensive effort.
Robin Benzing was the leading German scorer with 11 points while Tim Ohlbrecht was the only other player on the European side to reach double-figures with 10.
The game was expected to be a tough one for Australia, with Germany having previously recorded a 1-1 record at the world titles with a narrow defeat at the hands of Argentina and a double-overtime win against Serbia.
The Boomers made a mockery of pre-game expectations however as they jumped out to a 19-7 lead at the end of the first quarter on the back of a ferocious defensive effort.
There was no let-up in the second period either as Australia took a 38-20 lead into the half to leave the Europeans reeling.
A 24-11 scoring advantage in the third period sparked by a 7-0 run at the start of the quarter saw the Boomers put the game beyond doubt. Australia refused to let up in the final period, winning every quarter and running out with a remarkable victory.
The Australian defence restricted Germany to 7-of-32 shooting from two-point range and 8-of-26 from the perimeter. The Australians also dominated the boards with a 40-30 advantage despite the Germans starting a line-up that included a pair of seven footers in Tibor Pleiss and Jan-Hendrik Jagla as well as the 208cm Robin Benzing.
Australia’s next game will be against Serbia at 11:30PM Tuesday evening Australian Eastern time.
Australia will close out their Group A preliminary round play with games against Serbia on 1 September and Angola on September 2. All of the Boomers’ five preliminary round games will be held in Kayseri.
All Boomers’ games are being shown on FOX SPORTS.
Australia 78 (Patrick Mills led 16, Aleks Maric 15, Brad Newley 10)
Defeated
Germany 43 (Robin Benzing 11, Tim Ohlbrecht 10)
Click here to see World Championship group standings.
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