THE AUSTRALIAN Emus have managed a second place finish in the ‘group of death’ at the 2025 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, progressing to the next stage after defeating France by eight points at Cooly Arena in Switzerland overnight.

The Aussies came into the clash with one win and one loss from its two outings, being bested by the United States before bouncing back with a come-from-behind win over Cameroon on Monday morning. France was looming as an intriguing matchup, and crucial in ensuring Australia was not eliminated early in the tournament.

Fortunately, the Emus won the first three quarters of the match, and despite a spirited fightback from the opposition in the final frame, held on to claim a crucial win and advance to the bracket stage of the World Cup.

Australian Emus (71) def. France (63)

The first quarter saw young gun Jacob Furphy continue his strong start to the tournament, getting involved early to post eight quick points. He led the way as the Emus grabbed control of the contest, leading by four points at the first change to strike the first blow against a French outfit that did show it was up for the fight.

The second quarter saw the Aussies take things up a notch on the defensive end, holding the opposition scoreless for the first four minutes to extend their lead towards double-digits and truly grab momentum of the match. At the main break, the Aussies led by 10 points, and were beginning to break away from France on the scoreboard.

Quarter number three was more of the same from Australia, continuing to hold control of the game and keep the opposition at bay. The Emus led by as much as 17 points and kept the margin at 13 at three-quarter time, leaving the French with plenty to do in the final 10 minutes of play if they were any chance of staying alive at the World Cup.

It was a strong response from France in the fourth term, finally getting some momentum going on the offensive end and cutting the deficit down to single digits in the closing minutes. With 45 seconds on the clock, the French had cut the margin to four points and were within striking distance, but Next Star Dash Daniels showed composure at the free throw line, ensuring the Emus held on for an eight-point win.

Furphy was the standout for Australia once again, showing why his college career with the UConn Huskies is so promising, finishing the clash with 19 points, three rebounds, five assists and a steal, all while cashing in from behind the arc by shooting 5/9 from long range.

Also catching the eye once again was Roman Siulepa, who is having himself an excellent tournament as well, and dominated the paint against France to post numbers of 19 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal in an excellent showing, while Luke Fennell made the most of his 18 minutes to produced 13 points.

For France, Talis Soulhac led the way with 12 points, three rebounds and six assists on 5/12 shooting from the field, while Mohamed Sankhe was the other player to finish with double-digits on the scoring front, posting 10 points of his own.

The Aussies will now await the bracket stage to be finalised before being given their next opponent.