Australia qualify for U17 World Cup at the expense of the Philippines

DOHA (Qatar) - Australia spoil the Philippines valiant efforts by storming back in the second half to win, 109-83, and qualify for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup.

Gilas Youth jumped out to a dream start, leading the Crocs by as much as 17 points in the first half, drawing buzz and cheers from the Filipino crowds that came to root for the youngsters at the Al-Gharafa Sports Club Multi-Purpose Hall.

It seemed as if the Philippines couldn’t do anything wrong. They were taking care of the ball, they were knocking down their three-pointers, and they were keeping Australia from easily operating in the paint.

But the defending champions didn’t allow that dream to last too long. The Crocs cranked up the defensive intensity, chipping away at the lead and were back to trailing by only 4 points at the end of the first half after a 19-6 run.

After holding the Philippines to only 2 points in the first 5 minutes of the third quarter, Australia reclaimed the lead and took it for good.

In the previous games, Australia’s big men were the main carried the majority of the scoring load, but in this game, the perimeter players found their rhythm. The most notable performances came from Joshua Dent and Kye Savage who combined for 10 three-pointers on only 14 attempts. While Savage led Australia in scoring with 27 points, it was Dent who put up the more all-around stat line and flirted with a triple-double. The 16-year-old Dent had his best game yet with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals in the win.

The Philippines sharpshooters went toe to toe with Australia, led by 18 points off 4 three-pointers from Lorenzo Competente. Another positive highlight from this game for the Philippines was Caelum Harris (14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 blocks) who was a key part in sparking the team with his energetic plays, most notably two monstrous slam dunks in traffic.

The win for Australia grants them a ticket to the U17 World Cup which will be held in Malaga, Spain from 2-10 July.

FIBA