Emphatic Emus complete clean sweep towards quarterfinals

THE Australian Emus produced their most dominant performance at the 2024 FIBA Under-18 Asia Cup on Wednesday night, defeating the Chinese Taipei by a whopping 65 points at Arena Complex in Jordan.

The result sees the Emus complete the group stage with a perfect record of three wins from three games to sit comfortably at the top of Group A. Now the Australians have earned themselves a couple of days off, as the remaining quarterfinal spots are determined over the next 48 hours.

If the Aussies can keep up their current form, it is hard to see the Emus having any troubles making at least the final stages of the tournament.

Australian Emus (113) def. Chinese Taipei (48)

The Emus were simply dominant in the big win over the Chinese Taipei, showing just how far ahead of their peers they have proven to be throughout the entire tournament.

From the opening term, it was evident the Aussies were going to cruise home to an easy win, outscoring the opposition 30-12 and looking simply too powerful on both ends of the floor. The Chinese Taipei did not have the offensive firepower or defensive structures to slow down an Australian team at the top of its game.

The dominance continued into the second quarter, and the Emus led by an unassailable 33 points at the main change. The Chinese Taipei were being completely smothered in their offensive sets, as the Aussies brought the signature press that has put remarkable pressure on opposing teams throughout the entire tournaments.

Things went from bad to worse for the Chinese Taipei in the third quarter, mustering just eight points over 10 minutes to officially turn the game into a blow out. The Aussies were doing as they pleased and every player was getting involved offensively, sharing the ball tremendously and consistently making the extra pass as the Emus cruised home to a huge win.

From the field, Australia shot 55 per cent, having no troubles generating good looks, particularly from inside the arc, where it nailed two-thirds of its attempts. On the other hand, the Chinese Taipei were restricted to just 26 per cent field goal, and found life extremely difficult on the offensive side of things.

Scoring the ball in the paint was the most effective method for the Emus, as the opposition lacked the height and strength to effectively contest shots at a consistent basis, as evidenced by a 10-0 count in the blocks column.

After producing an impressive all-around showing in his last outing, Mason Honeyman took it up a notch against the Chinese Taipei, posting a game-high 17 points (9/11 FT), six rebounds and four assists as he continues to thrive on the international stage.

Ajak Nyuon and Emmett Adair both posted 13 points apiece, with the latter also racking up three blocks in the process to produce an excellent two-way performance. Che Dean Miller Brogan (11 points, four assists), Luke Fennell (10 points, 4/6 FG), Jacob Furphy (10 points) and Ben Waller (10 points, six rebounds, five assists) rounded out the double-digit scorers in a fantastic team showing.

The Emus will play their next game on Saturday night in a quarterfinal, with their opponent yet to be determined.

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