AUSTRALIA got back at New Zealand with a wire-to-wire 81-52 victory Saturday at Cairns Pop Up Arena to gain a share of leadership in Group C of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.
Boomers' 17-year-old guard Dyson Daniels impressed in his seniors team debut, unleashing 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting, to go with six steals, four assists, and three rebounds to anchor the hosts to this emphatic victory.
Reyne Smith, 18, also showed that he's ready for primetime as he waxed hot with 22 points on 6-of-14 clip from beyond the arc, alongside two boards and two assists.
The young Australian crew wasted little time taking control of the game, opening with a 21-10 opener as their infectious energy paid dividends on the defensive end, turning 23 points from the Kiwis' 21 turnovers.
Wena David Okwera, 18, also chipped in 12 points and four rebounds for Australia in this 29-point mauling.
It was a sweet redemption for the Boomers after the Tall Blacks pulled off a 108-98 heist in Brisbane exactly one year ago.
Both Australia and New Zealand now hold identical 2-1 win-loss records in Group C as they await the word from Fiba for their next assignments, with Hong Kong (0-1) and Guam (0-1) also part of the bracket.
Only the top two nations will gain tickets to the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup in Indonesia this August, with the third place team hoping to catch the last three berths for the continental tilt.
Taine Murray carried the load for the young New Zealand crew with 14 points, as Houston O'Riley shot a perfect 4-of-4 from deep for his 12 points, along with five assists and four rebounds in the loss.
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