SHENZHEN (China) - Australia made quick work of Malaysia, 124-38, for a strong start to their title defense bid in the FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup 2024-Division A opener, Monday at the Longhua Cultural and Sports Center.
Game heroes: Lara Somfai led the way with a game-high 28 points and 9 rebounds, together with an assist, a pair of steals, and a block for an efficiency of 35.
Bonnie Deas breached the 30-point mark in EFF as well with 32 behind her own solid efforts of 17 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals.
Saffron Shiels came through with a double-double as she finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Opal Bird contributed 16 as well on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.
Sienna Harvey made 14 points. Jade Crook had 12 points and 9 rebounds while Monique Williams added 10 as all but two scored at least 2 points in the rout.
Turning point: The Gems wasted no time imposing their might as they scored 20 unanswered points to open the match. Totally overwhelmed, their foes managed to score only at the 2:56-mark of the first after a split from the line by Yi Xin Yap.
Australia would already have 64 points by the halftime break while the opposition only had 13 to their tally. They would breach the century mark with 8:47 remaining in the final frame following a triple by Hilary Fuller in the total domination.
Stats don't lie: The repeat-seeking team of Coach Kristen Rae Veal showed no mercy on defense, pressing the Malaysians full-court for the majority of the game that ultimately led to 36 turnovers for the latter. Australia would finish with 23 steals.
On offense, the Gems shot 54.5-percent from the floor as they picked apart the other team's defense. Such an efficient outing was attributed to the way they shared the ball as the team racked up 28 assists. They dominated the boards as well with 61.
FIBA