AUS/ARG - Boomers bounced by Argentina again

ROSARIO (FIBA Oceania Championship/FIBA America Championship) - Australia’s men’s basketball team hung tough with Athens gold medallists Argentina in Rosario today but could not stop the highly favoured South Americans winning their second game against the Boomers in a week.

Down by just five points at half time, Australia was rolled in the fourth quarter after Nathan Jawai, Adam Gibson and Aron Baynes were fouled out of the game and Argentina surged to victory by seventeen points, 98-81.

Olympian David Barlow was the game high scorer and Australia’s best with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists while his Beijing team mate Joe Ingles chimed in with 18.

Seven foot two centre Luke Nevill registered a personal best in international play with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting to go along with 4 rebounds in just his third game for Australia.

Local legend Leonardo Gutierrez top scored for Argentina with 22 points.

Boomers head coach Brett Brown was positive about his team’s performance despite the result and emphasised the gradual improvement of his young Boomers side.

“It was our best performance of the trip but we just couldn’t get over the top,” Brown said.

“It’s part and parcel of having a young group; we made silly mistakes and turned the ball over and we put Argentina on the free throw line too many times.

“We weren’t disciplined and we showed a lack of patience with many things we did and the foul trouble that we got in was a result of that.

“We want to keep getting better and feel good about the direction we’re heading in so we can candidly look at each other in the eye and know that we’re moving forward.

“Ultimately our report card is against New Zealand on August 23rd and I feel like we made positive steps tonight.”

Australia’s next game on tour, the final match of the Super Four round robin tournament, will be against Uruguay tomorrow morning, where the Boomers will look to curtail the long range shotting success of their previous South American opponents.

Argentina shot 13-of-25 three-pointers compared to Australia’s 4-of-13 and registered a hot 31-of-35 free throws compared to the Boomers’ 26-of-33.

“The South Americans play very physical basketball and the Uruguayans are especially physical.

“We have some injury concerns; Oscar Forman played limited minutes tonight due to a sprained ankle, Stephen Weigh didn’t play at all, Nathan Jawai is also carrying an ankle sprain and we rested Matthew Dellavedova due to a stomach ailment.

“But we’re looking forward to the game.”


Quarter by quarter:
1. ARG 28 AUS 23
H. ARG 47 AUS 42 (19-19)
3. ARG 72 AUS 64 (25-22)
F. ARG 98 AUS 81 (26-17)


ARGENTINA 98 (L Gutierrez 22, Paolo Quinteros 15, Luis Scola 15) bt
AUSTRALIA 81 (David Barlow 23, Joe Ingles 18, Luke Nevill 15)

Basketball Australia