Boomers begin golden journey

Just like Paul Rogers asked, the Boomers delivered. The Australian men’s basketball team matching their female counterparts to record a convincing win in their opening Commonwealth Games match on Friday night in Bendigo.

The Boomers were 77-point winners over Scotland, 129-52; exciting rookie Brad Newley top scoring for the Aussies with 23 points.

Rogers, a 32-year-old Boomers veteran, told a packed press conference on Thursday that he lamented his team’s lack of medals in international competition and that he and his team mates were looking to equal the Opals in success at their first Commonwealth Games.

The hometown favourites were quick out of the blocks, having nine points at the one-minute mark, thanks to three rapid-fire triples from Tony Ronaldson, CJ Bruton and Jason Smith.

Ronaldson with three threes, and seven from 10 shooting for the match, to finish with 17 points.

“It was going alright tonight,” he said of his shooting. “But it was going alright for everyone. It just felt good to pull on the green and gold uniform again. I thought after Athens it was probably the last time I’d do it. It was great to be back out in this type of environment again.”

The Australians applied a full-court pressure defence to their opponents in the opening stages of the match, putting the screws into Scotland’s ball handlers and causing plenty of turnovers. Scotland had 32 turnovers, and Australia 13 steals at the end of the match.

“I was really pleased with the way we played,” Goorjian said. “That was the new Boomers style – good ball pressure, good push of the ball, youthful, enthusiastic. It’s a new group and I think the trademark stood out.”

Coach Goorjian told reporters at training earlier that afternoon that pressure D was to be the team’s trademark at this tournament, and it certainly was.

Goorjian used 10 of his men in the opening quarter, Jacob Holmes and Jacob Holmes the only Aussies not to hit the floor. The quarter time score read 37-17 in favour of the home team, Tony Ronaldson leading the scoring for Australia with 10 points. Gareth Murray had eight quarter time points for the Scots.

The full-court pressure defence continued in the second period and offensively, Jason Smith hit two more threes to take his half time tally to three threes from three. Sam Mackinnon came to life with six points in the term, including some of his famous flashy play.

The Aussies led 69-28 at the long break.

The third period was back-up point guard Brad Davidson’s time to shine. In only three and half minutes on court, the team’s shortest player had eight points, leading the Boomers past the 100-point mark, to a 104-43 lead at the final break.

Despite the widening margin, the Boomers kept the crowd in the game with some exciting and athletic basketball, Newley combining with Mark Worthington for a sensational alley-oop play in the final three minutes, bringing the packed crowd to its feet.

A basketball-crazed town, Bendigo locals have embraced the Commonwealth Games, with few tickets available for any session throughout the five days of competition. Scotland were well supported by some passionate, blue-faced fans, but the stadium erupted when the Aussies walked on the floor at the beginning of the match.

Victorian boy, Mackinnon was pleased with his 12-point effort in the green and gold, his first run with the Boomers since 2003. “If Goorjian ever asks me to part of the team I’ll always put my hand up,” he said. “It’s been a real bonus to play in Victoria in front of family and friends.”

The Boomers play their next match against Nigeria in Bendigo on Sunday night at 8:15pm. The Opals will take the floor at 8:15pm on Saturday night against Mozambique, who lost to England by 38 points on Thursday night.

Australia 129 (Brad Newley 23, Tony Ronaldson 17, Mark Worthington 12, Sam Mackinnon 12)
Scotland 52 (Dan Wardrope 9, Gareth Murray 8, Tom Pearson 7)

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