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The Australian Nation team (the Boomers), came ready to put on a performance in front of a sold-out Hisense arena Thursday in Melbourne, Australia. After a tougher than expected game one against the Pac-12 All Star team; the Boomers seemed determined to erase that memory from their minds and prove why they are considered a front-runner to earn a medal at the Rio Olympic games next month.
The Boomers were led by Patty Mills who poured in 29 points. Center Aron Baynes, who controlled game one, chipped in 19 and the Boomers ended up with a comfortable 30 point victory, sweeping the two-game series versus the young Pac-12 All Star team.
The Pac-12 team decided to switch up their starting-five and instead of starting Oregon State's Stephen Thompson Jr and Drew Eubanks. They elected to start Tra Holder (Arizona State), Kadem Allen (Arizona), Stephen Domingo (Cal), Lorenzo Bonam (Utah), and Wes Gordon (Colorado).
Drew Eubanks had a very productive game off the bench scoring 8 points and grabbing 5 rebounds, while also looking very solid on the defensive end. Stephen Thompson Jr scored 6 points but struggled offensively shooting 1-for-8 from the field.
Check out the box score, courtesy of Fibalivestats.com.
Matthew Delladova missed Tuesday's game but played in Thursday's game after being cleared by his new NBA team. He only scored 2 points in 18 minutes of action but was instrumental in setting a tougher defensive tone for the Boomers. Offense was a struggle for the Pac-12 team all night and the Boomers played a big role in that by clamping down on the defensive end.
The big loss was mostly expected for the Pac-12 team. It looked like all of the travel and fatigue had finally caught up to them on Thursday. Also, considering the Boomers squad features six players who currently play in the NBA, they should be proud of their performances against the Boomers this week.
The Pac-12 All Star team will now head back to the States after a successful showing in Australia. And it will be interesting to keep an eye on which players from this team use the experience and momentum gained from this trip abroad into a dominant season at the collegiate-level. Here's to hoping that Drew Eubanks and Stephen Thompson Jr turn this experience into a outstanding sophomore season for the Beavers.