Under-strength Boomers battle past lowly rivals in World Cup qualifier

The Boomers beat Guam 93-80 in a result that felt a little underwhelming given their opponent’s world ranking of #79.

They remain unbeaten through the opening FIBA window, backing up their earlier wins over New Zealand last year.

Melbourne United guard Tanner Krebs led the way in his first senior call-up, knocking down eight threes to guide Australia to a 3-0 record in Group A.

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The second quarter proved decisive, with the other three periods virtually even, split by a draw and just two points combined.

Guam rode the crowd’s energy early, while the Australia men’s national basketball team looked rusty out of the blocks and shot well under 30% in the opening term.

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The game turned midway through the second when Elijah Pepper caught fire, drilling three straight threes to push the margin to 14, with Tanner Krebs adding key shot-making to steady the visitors.

From there it became a grind, but Australia did enough to avoid what would have been a historic upset given the gap in world rankings. Tom Wilson, Sam Froling and Nick Kay all finished in double figures, while the Boomers dominated the glass with an impressive 20 offensive rebounds.

Attention now turns to Sunday’s clash with the Philippines, a blockbuster rematch of the infamous 2018 “Basketbrawl”.