Australia U18 basketball wins opening games at FIBA Asia Cup

The Australian U18 national basketball team, known as the Emus, has begun its FIBA U18 Asia Cup title defence with dominant victories in Group A. Australia opened the tournament with a 102-32 win over Thailand, led by Jai Fa'ale, who recorded 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals.

Australia continued its momentum with a 107-69 victory over the Philippines at the Veer Savarkar Indoor Stadium in Ahmedabad, India. Despite a competitive opening quarter where the Philippines trailed by only two points, Australia responded with a 16-2 run to secure a commanding lead. Yahya Basaran led the Australian scoring with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Bailey Hanson contributed 14 points and eight assists.

The win moves Australia to a 2-0 record in the group stage. The Philippines, now at 1-1 following their loss, remains in contention for a playoff berth and will conclude their group stage against Thailand.