The Boomers have won a thrilling FIBA Asia Cup final against China by one point to secure a three-peat of titles, becoming just the second nation to achieve the feat.
Australia, at one stage trailing by 15 points, sealed a dramatic 90-89 victory at Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City on Sunday, with the game-winning buzzer-beater from China’s Hu Mingxuan bouncing off the rim.
The 16-time champions got off to a flying start, leading 25-17 at quarter-time before extending that lead to 15 points ahead in the second term. However, the Boomers closed the gap before half-time and edged ahead in the third quarter.
The lead was exchanged 19 times across the nerve-shredding contest, with the Boomers holding a one-point advantage heading into the final seconds before Mingxuan’s decisive miss from beyond the arc prompted scenes of jubilation for Australia.
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Xavier Cooks, later named player of the match, scored a game-high 30 points on 13-of-17 shooting alongside nine rebounds, while tournament MVP Jaylin Galloway nailed six triples. Elsewhere, William Hickey contributed 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
For China, Mingxuan scored a team-high 26 points with five three-pointers, while veteran Hu Jinqiu added 20 points and ten rebounds.
Australia now boasts a perfect 18-0 FIBA Asia Cup record since joining the competition in 2017.
Earlier on Sunday, Iran defeated New Zealand in the bronze-medal match 79-73 to claim third place.
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