FIBA Basketball
AUS/CHN - Opals complete sweep of China
CAIRNS (FIBA Oceania Championship for Women) - Australia completed a series sweep of China in their warm-ups for the FIBA Oceania Championship for Women as they enjoyed a huge 98-72 win in the third and final game. After two close contests, the Opals used a 21-9 run in the second quarter to ensure this one turned into a laugher. Abby Bishop ...
CAIRNS (FIBA Oceania Championship for Women) - Australia completed a series sweep of China in their warm-ups for the FIBA Oceania Championship for Women as they enjoyed a huge 98-72 win in the third and final game.
After two close contests, the Opals used a 21-9 run in the second quarter to ensure this one turned into a laugher.
Abby Bishop scored 20 points and collected eight rebounds, while Suzy Batkovic had 19 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
The Opals had led 27-22 at the end of the first quarter after another tough battle, in keeping with the opening two games.
But the gap was 17 by half-time and they continued to pull away.
"I think it's about continual improvement," said Australia coach Carrie Graf. "With more time together I think we started to show it on the floor.
"I think we wore them down. We ran really well tonight and that showed - they couldn't sustain the effort we were making on the floor."
Lijie Miao led China with 23 points and six rebounds, while Nan Chen had 12 points and 11 boards.
With the series over, the Opals squad will now divide with a number of younger players headed to the World University Games in China next week, while Graf awaits a number of WNBA players who will join up with the seniors ahead of the September Olympic qualifiers against New Zealand.
"I think a lot of people on this team are going to be Opals down the track and some of them are going to be in the next Olympic team, there's no question," Graf said of the younger players.
"But there are six players in the WNBA, and there's some injured point guards coming back from the World Championship team, so there's a lot of great players to come back into this group.
"But I think a lot of the young players made statements about their future - it might not be in the short term - but their long-term future is as an Opal."
FIBA