AUS/BRA – Boomers win battle of tired legs against Brazil

ATHENS (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men) –Australia beat Brazil 89-84 on Wednesday evening - the final night of the Acropolis Tournament.

The Aussies, having already clinched a place at the Olympics in China by virtue of their 2007 FIBA Oceania Championship title win over New Zealand, went into their game against Brazil on the back of three straight setbacks – two to Croatia and one to Greece.

Brazil fell behind by eight points late in the third quarter but held their nerve and twice closed the gap to just one.

CJ Bruton and Mark Worthington each made two free throws in the final 19 seconds to secure the win.

“We really enjoyed playing in this tournament,” said Australia coach Brian Goorjian.

“In order to compete at the Olympics, you have to play against the best teams in the world.

“Both teams were very tired tonight, the result didn’t make a lot of difference, but both played their asses off.”

Australia fell behind by as many as seven points in the first half but hit back and opened up a 59-51 advantage six minutes after the restart on a two free throws from big man Chris Anstey. He would go on to score a game-high 24 points.

The South Americans, who with Greece and Croatia are taking part in next week’s FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, didn’t allow the Boomers to pull away and clawed their way back to 60-57 when Marcelo Machado buried one of his six three-balls.

When Brazil reduced the arrears to 85-84 on a pair of free throws by Alex Garcia, veteran guard Bruton sank two at the stripe to extend the lead to three.

After Marcelinho missed with an attempt from behind the arc that would have tied the contest, Australia rebounded and forward Worthington sealed the win with two more free throws.

With both teams preferring to play an up-tempo game, there were plenty of turnovers – 20 for Australia and 19 for Brazil.

Fourteen of those Brazilian turnovers came in the first half.

“While holding the lead in the first half, we were very anxious,” Monsalve said.

“The 14 mistakes we made during the first half are way too many for a team in order to have chances to win an international-level game.

“In the second half we got better, yet we struggled in man-to-man defense.”

The Boomers’ struggles from three-point range continued with Goorjian’s team nailing just five of 21 (23%).

At the line, however, they were an impressive 26 of 32 (81%) and Goorjian will have liked the fact that his team out-rebounded Brazil 37-25.

“Australia dominated the battle of the rebounds,” Monsalve said, “as they grabbed 37 - 12 more than us.

“That, along with their ability to get to the free throw line more often than us, was the key factor that decided the outcome of the game.”

Marcelinho finished with 20 points to lead Brazil while point guard Marcelo Huertas scored 19 and dished out six assists. However, he was guilty of turning the ball over eight times.

Goorjian is trying to get European-based stars David Andersen (Barcelona) and Matt Nielsen (Lietuvos Rytas) going but they have yet to find their rhythm.

Andersen played five minutes and had two points while Nielsen was on the floor for 14 and a half minutes and scored four.

FIBA