Emus put on an offensive clinic with 130-26 win over Samoa | FIBA Oceania U19 Championships
Jordan Hunter had a career game with 25 pts & 19 rbs as the Australian U19 Emus put together a 104-point rout of Samoa, moving to 2-0 in the tournament.
Jordan Hunter | Photo courtesy of Basketball Fiji
With Isaac Humphries not with the team due to a quad injury and Harry Froling sitting on the sidelines for this fixture, Jordan Hunter was given role as the starting centre for the Emus - and he didn't disappoint, albeit against a Samoan squad that simply lacks the level of size and individual talent of Australia.
The 1st half was as expected for the Emus, Samoa's lack of size opening the door for offensive rebounding opportunities for the Aussies. Australia clogged the paint on the defensive end with their size and the 3-ball just wasn't falling for the Samoans, allowing the Emus to extend their lead - the score at 53-12 heading into the half.
The 3rd quarter is when Australia heated up, opening the period with a trio of 3-pointers - Tanner Krebs hitting the first while Tom Wilson knocked down the latter. The Emus would go on to score a staggering 46 points in the quarter - Hunter, the recent St Mary's signee, scoring 9 of his 25 points in the period.
Australia continued to feed the ball down low in the 4th quarter, with Rhys Vague joining the offensive barrage - finishing with an impressive 21 pts & 8 rbs off the bench. The Emus would eventually come away with the 130-26 victory and a bundle of confidence.
Tom WIlson | Photo credit to Basketball Fiji
Team captain Tom Wilson displayed an impressive array of point guard skills, finishing the game with a very efficient 17 points while dishing a game-high 8 assists. Fellow Australian U17 guard Dejan Vasiljevic also had a well-rounded game - the Melbournian with 12 pts, 8 rbs & 6 asts for the game.
Another former Australian U17 squad member who was extremely influential in this game was Abi Akintola, who made his debut in an Emus uniform - scoring 18 points and pulling down 5 rebounds in 30 minutes of action.
The Australian U19 Emus will face Guam at 12pm (AEST) during Wednesday's action.