Australia beat China, 90-89, to complete ‘three-peat' bid in FIBA Asia Cup
The Boomers trailed all the way, with China leading by up to 15 points early in the game.
Xavier Cooks pumped in 30 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, Jaylin Galloway contributed 23 points and 5 rebounds, and William Hickey added 15 points as the Boomers steadily narrowed down China's lead.
With just 1:09 remaining in the last quarter, Hickey scored the basket that turned the tide. China had a chance to win but Hu Mingxuan's buzzer-beater attempt bounced off the rim. Hu led his team with 26 points.
With the victory, Australia became the second team in Asia Cup history to achieve a 'three-peat'. The Boomers also extended their unbeaten run to 18 games since they joined the tournament in 2017.
China was the first to win the title three times in a row in 2003 as it captured its 13th tournament title. All in all, China has won 16 Asia Cup championships.
Aside from Hu Mingxuan, three of China's players scored double figures, with Hu Jinqiu pouring in 20 points and 10 grabbing rebounds, Cheng Shuaipeng making 12 and Zhao Rui adding 10 points.
China's second place performance was, nonetheless, a remarkable comeback after a decade without a medal since it last won the Asia Cup title in 2015.
Speaking to the press after the game, Australia head coach Adam Caporn said: 'The main thing is I am so proud of the character of our guys. We were down by 15, but we saw our players' toughness, their problem-solving attitude,'
'We have great people in the program, and in my opinion that's why we won,' he added
In the battle for third place in Jeddah, Iran defeated New Zealand, 79-73.
Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, vice president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, crowned the Australian national team with the 31st edition of the 2025 Asian Basketball Cup, in the presence of Sheikh Saud Al Thani, president of the International Basketball Federation; K Govindaraj, FIBA Asia president; and Ghassan Tashkand, president of the Saudi Basketball Federation.
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