CANBERRA (Australia) - The Group Phase of the FIBA U15 Oceania Cup 2024 is done and dusted as the final games were played with Tahiti, Australia, and Fiji coming out as victors.
Tahiti recorded their first win in the competition 67-54 over New Caledonia.
They fell behind early in the first quarter by as much as seven points and began gaining momentum in the second quarter. After taking the lead for the first time midway through that second quarter, Tahiti went on to take a 10-point lead into halftime and cruised the rest of the way.
It was a spectacular game from Manafere Faahu, who recorded a triple-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 steals. However, it was Heikeamana Sage who led the team in scoring with 20 points for Tahiti.
Australia quickly recovered from an overtime game against New Zealand and took care of business in a 111-84 win over Samoa.
It was a fast-paced game with all but one player across both teams scoring points. Australia had six players score in double figures led by William Hamilton (17 points, 9 rebounds) while Samoa's Leeavae McDonald led all players with 21 points.
The last game of the day saw Fiji beat Cook Islands to stay undefeated, 88-76.
Fiji stayed ahead for most of the game, though Cook Islands did their best to stay within reach. Still, the firepower of Fiji's fearless duo Ratu Gosho Vishanin and Kalae Kenny was just too much to handle. Vishanin poured in 28 points with 4 three-pointers, 12 rebounds, 4 steals, and 5 blocks. This game, he was outscored by his teammate Kalae Kenny who erupted for 36 points with 3 three-pointers of his own. Cook Island's Calvyn Valoa had a double-double to counter Fiji's starpower, finishing with 26 points and 15 rebounds.
With the results of the day completed, the games for the next phase of the competition are now confirmed.
Upcoming Games - November 14
Classification 8-9 : Cook Islands v New Caledonia - 12:45 PM (GMT+11) Quarter-Final 1 : New Zealand v Tahiti - 3:00 PM (GMT +11) Quarter-Final 2 : Tonga vs Guam - 5:15 PM (GMT +11) Quarter-Final 3 : Fiji v Samoa - 7:30 PM (GMT +11)
FIBA