Ford Ballin’ 24 basketball: Australian teams defeat China in Olympic warm-up games - get all scores and results
The Boomers and Opals played two matches each against their Chinese counterparts in Melbourne and remained undefeated.
Basketball
To fine-tune their preparations for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, the Australian men’s and women’s basketball teams faced off against their counterparts from the People’s Republic of China in the Ford Ballin’ 24 series from July 2 to 5.
The basketball tournament was played at the John Cain Arena in Melbourne.
The Australian men’s basketball team, or the Boomers, started its campaign on July 2. Australia won the first match 107-87 before winning the second game 91-58 two days later.
The two-match series gave Australia men’s head coach Brian Goorjian another good look at the potential contenders for the Olympic squad.
Ford Ballin’ 24 basketball: Boomers squad vs China
Australian men’s basketball team: Xavier Cooks, Dyson Daniels, Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum, Josh Giddey, Chris Goulding, Josh Green, Joe Ingles, Nick Kay, Jock Landale, Will Magnay, Jack McVeigh, Patty Mills, Duop Reath, Matisse Thybulle, DJ Vasiljevic, Jack White
The Australian men’s basketball team is ranked fifth in the world and first in Asia. China, meanwhile, were world No. 29 and the sixth-best team in Asia in the FIBA rankings.
The matches against China, however, won’t be the final warm-up matches for the Boomers, who will travel to Abu Dhabi to play against the USA and Serbia before heading to France for the Olympics.
The Opals were in action on July 3 and 5 and fielded a 12-member squad, including top names like Lauren Jackson, Isobel Borlase and Cayla George. Australia won the first match 94-66 before winning the second game 91-63.
Ford Ballin’ 24 basketball: Opals squad vs China
Australian women’s basketball team: Amy Atwell, Zitina Aokuso, Isobel Borlase, Darcee Garbin, Cayla George, Lauren Jackson, Alice Kunek, Tess Madgen, Lauren Nicholson, Steph Reid, Maddy Rocci, Marianna Tolo
China is the top women’s basketball team in Asia at world No. 2 while the Australian women’s basketball team is third in the current world rankings.
Ford Ballin’ 24 basketball: Australia men’s basketball team scores and results
- July 2, Tuesday: Australia 107 (top scorer: J. McVeigh - 24 points) - 87 China (top scorer: S Liao - 26 points)
- July 4, Thursday: Australia 91 (top scorer: J. Landale - 19 points) - 58 China (top scorer: S Liao - 15 points)
Ford Ballin’ 24 basketball: Australia women’s basketball team scores and results
- July 3, Wednesday: Australia 94 (top scorer: I. Borlase and A. Kunek - 19 points) - 66 China (top scorer: W. Siyu - 21 points)
- July 5, Friday: Australia 91 (top scorer: A. Atwell - 17 points) - 63 China (top scorer: W. Siyu - 18 points)