The Boomers have walked away from the Philippines with a flawless weekend in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, extending their unbeaten run to eight straight games as several of the country’s emerging stars made their presence known.
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In their first two games of the Second Round of qualifying, the Boomers took on Syria and Jordan in Group E at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
Australia began the weekend against 74th-ranked Syria with a dominant 123-64 victory, led by Perth Wildcats guard Elijah Pepper, who put on a show with a new Boomers career-high in the 59-point win.
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A 63-27 first half all but sealed the result for the Boomers, with Pepper exploding for 32 points in just 20 minutes of action, knocking down 8-12 (66.7%) from deep.
It was another glimpse into Pepper’s future with the national team, while also giving Perth Wildcats fans plenty to look forward to as the guard continues to take his game to another level ahead of the upcoming NBL season.
Outside of Pepper’s dominant performance, debutant Max Mackinnon added 10 points, while Anthony Dell’Orso scored 11 points in his first appearance for the Boomers. Luke Travers added 14 points and three assists in just 19 minutes of action.
Australia spent 39 minutes and 48 seconds in front, with Syria never leading throughout the contest.
BOOMERS CAP OFF PERFECT WEEKEND
In their second game of the trip, the Boomers took on Jordan for just the third time in the two nations’ history, bringing back memories of their dramatic meeting at the 2010 FIBA World Cup.
On that occasion, an Australian side featuring Boomers legend David Andersen alongside a young Joe Ingles and Patty Mills came back from five points down with just one minute remaining to scrape out a 76-75 victory.
The Boomers would eventually finish third in Group A with a 3-2 record before being knocked out in the Round of 16 by Slovenia, losing 87-58.
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Sixteen years later, Australia showed just how much its depth and talent has grown, dominating Jordan 126-93 to cap off a perfect 2-0 weekend in Manila.
This time it was another Wildcat who led the way.
Dell’Orso, who had made his Boomers debut just 48 hours earlier, led Australia with 19 points, three rebounds and three assists, shooting 7-12 (58.3%) from the field.
Travers flirted with a triple-double, finishing with seven points, six rebounds and 10 assists as the Melbourne United forward prepares for another big NBL season.
As a team, Australia knocked down 14 of its 31 attempts from beyond the arc, shooting 45.2%, while outrebounding Jordan 49-33 to put the finishing touches on a dominant weekend.
AUSTRALIAN BOOMERS: PLAYER RATINGS
#3 | Max Mackinnon | 6.5/10
Although he averaged just 12.4 minutes across his first two games for the Boomers, Mackinnon made the most of his opportunities, averaging 8.0 points and 2.5 assists while shooting 6-11 (54%) from the field. A respectable first window in the green and gold.
#4 | Dash Daniels | 7/10
Daniels was given just 16.1 minutes per game but showcased plenty during his time on the floor, averaging 8.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 7-16 (43%) from the field.
One thing is clear, he has packed on muscle during the off-season and it is showing. A solid weekend for the NBL Next Star.
#5 | Angus Glover | 7.5/10
Glover is slowly becoming a veteran within the Boomers set-up, with the Phoenix guard averaging 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals in just 19.3 minutes per game.
Although the shooting from deep wasn’t quite there, knocking down just 3-12 (25%), he more than made up for it defensively with six steals across the two games.
#7 | Tom Wilson | 5.5/10
Wilson didn’t suit up in game one but made the most of his opportunity against Jordan, exploding for 13 points, three rebounds and four assists on 4-6 shooting (66.7%).
The Melbourne United guard made the most of his 17 minutes on the floor in a strong individual performance.
#12 | Josh Bannan | 7.5/10
The uber-consistent Bannan, who is becoming an increasingly familiar face within the Boomers set-up, put together another quality weekend in the Philippines.
He averaged 13.0 points and 6.5 rebounds, but arguably his most impressive work came at the free-throw line, where he converted 16 of his 18 attempts at 88.8%.
#13 | Sam Froling | 6.0/10
The Illawarra Hawks big man didn’t see a huge amount of playing time but produced solid numbers across his 16.5 minutes per game, averaging 7.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 6-8 (75%) from the field.
Did his job nicely.
#15 | Nick Kay | 7.0/10
The veteran of the group and the player with the most Boomers caps, Kay played his role perfectly across his 17.3 minutes per game.
He averaged 8.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting an extremely efficient 6-7 (85%) from the field.
As usual, Kay played his role to perfection.
#17 | Tanner Krebs | 5.0/10
A relatively quiet weekend for the Phoenix forward, who averaged 6.0 points across his 15.0 minutes per game while shooting 4-12 (33.3%) from the field.
Don’t let that distract from the fact Krebs can light it up on any given night, something he proved against Guam earlier this year when he knocked down eight threes on his way to 28 points.
#21 | Jacob Holt | 6.5/10
After making his Boomers debut back in February, Holt was handed more opportunities during this FIBA window and made his presence felt on the glass.
Across 14.2 minutes per game, he averaged 6.5 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds while shooting 4-9 (44.4%) from the field.
#23 | Luke Travers | 8/10
An impressive all-round performance from Travers in his first Boomers appearances since 2023.
The Melbourne United forward averaged 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists while shooting an extremely efficient 9-12 (75%) from the field.
His 10-assist performance against Jordan showcased another dimension to his game and capped off an impressive return to the national team.
#30 | Anthony Dell’Orso | 8.5/10
Dell’Orso firmly put his name on the map for future Boomers selections with two impressive performances in his first senior international window.
Across 20.1 minutes per game, the Perth Wildcats guard averaged 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 12-23 (53%) from the field.
He saved his best for the final game, leading Australia with 19 points against Jordan just 48 hours after making his Boomers debut.
#40 | Elijah Pepper | 9/10
The standout of the weekend.
Pepper exploded for a career-high 32 points against Syria and finished the window averaging a team-high 23.0 points per game, knocking down nine of his 18 attempts (50%) from deep.
The Perth Wildcats sharpshooter continues to get better with every opportunity and has put together another compelling case for a bigger role within the Boomers set-up moving forward.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Boomers now turn their attention to the November window and the next phase of the Second Round of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Australia will take on Iran on Friday, November 27, before facing Jordan again on Monday, November 30.
The Boomers sit atop Group E with a perfect 8-0 record, with the top three teams from each group and the best fourth-placed team qualifying for the FIBA World Cup in Qatar next year.