Emus defeat Spain to earn 7th place | FIBA U19 World Championship
Emus defeat Spain to earn 7th place | FIBA U19 World Championship
The Australian U19 Men's squad completed a rout of Spain to earn 7th place at the FIBA U19 World Championship.
Tanner Krebs had the hot hand all game, leading the Emus with 31 points as they finished their time in Greece with a 103-72 victory.
Australia opened up the game in a zone, with Spain struggling to get into any kind of rhythm. Jack White did a great job attacking the rim, while Tanner Krebs started feeling it from downtown. Krebs was 3-of-3 from behind the three-point line in the first period, finishing the quarter with 11 of his 31 points as Australia led 21-12.
With a talented team like Spain expected to work themselves back into the game, they struggled to get anything going on the offensive end, whilst also finding trouble guarding Australia's 3-point shooters.
Spain's zone wasn't proving to be very effective, allowing Australia to slice their way through it - leading to a big dunk from Jordan Hunter (below).
The Emus remained hot from beyond the arc, with Krebs hitting a long 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to extend Australia's lead to 43-25 heading into the main break.
Spain opened the third quarter with more fluidity on the offensive end, the improved ball movement leading to good looks from the perimeter, which they converted. Australia, however, never let the game get too close - with Jack McVeigh coming out aggressively to open the period.
Some sloppy turnover from the Emus saw the Spaniards cut down the lead, but William McDowell-White finished the quarter with some impressive drives to the basket, with Australia leading 66-53 at the end of the period.
The Emus were determined not to give up their lead, opening up the fourth quarter with an impressive alley-oop from McDowell-White to Deng Gak (below).
Tanner Krebs continued his stellar play, leading yet another run for the Australians to seal the 103-72 victory.
Krebs would finish the game with a game-high 31 points, including 7-of-10 from behind the arc. Jack McVeigh chipped in with 15 points and 7 rebounds, while Jordan Hunter had 14 points.
Australia finishes the tournament with a 3-4 record and - considering the amount of talent missing from this squad - an admirable 7th place finish.
Watch a full replay of the game below. The boxscore can be found here.
The Emus' run to 7th place
Australia falls to Canada in tournament opener
Emus remain winless after heart-breaking defeat to Italy
Australia completes group stage with rout of Tunisia
Emus advance to quarter-finals after upset over Serbia
Emus bow out of competition after falling to Turkey
Also, don't forget to catch up on our feature on Dejan Vasiljevic - talking about his European roots, defeating Serbia at the FIBA U19 World Championship, and what it means to wear the green and gold.
A big congratulations to the squad for their efforts throughout the tournament, as well as all of the staff involved for their tireless work behind the scenes.
Thank you to everyone who has followed along with out coverage of the FIBA U19 World Championship, make sure to stay tuned as we bring you exclusive coverage of the Australian Gems as they compete in the FIBA U19 World Championship for Women - beginning on the 18th of July in Russia.