KEY POINTS:
Australia 94
New Zealand 57
The Australian boomers were in ruthless form in Melbourne last night, pounding the Tall Blacks into submission.
The Boomers were not in a charitable mood, with competition intense among an outstanding squad of players to secure a spot in the touring party to the Olympic Games.
The Tall Blacks were on the receiving end of a brutal display of pressure defence, the visitors made to work every time they had possession of the ball to get it up the court.
The Tall Blacks came out aggressively in the opening quarter, with Mika Vukona, who will play club basketball in Australia for South Dragons this season under Boomers coach Brian Goorjian, scoring the opening five points of the game.
After racing out to a 14-5 lead, the full-court defence of the Boomers began to take its toll, although the Tall Blacks clung to a 16-13 first quarter lead.
The Boomers could smell the kill and forced numerous Tall Blacks' turnovers in the second quarter, feasting on the mistakes.
The home team outscored the visitors 33-8 in this period, with David Barlow (13) and Luke Kendall (7) in punishing form.
The telling statistic for the Tall Blacks in the first half was 12 turnovers, each mistake encouraging the Boomers to lift their defensive intensity. A 46-24 halftime scoreline was a warning of what was to come.
There was no relenting on the hapless Tall Blacks during the third quarter, with the visiting guards having to work overtime to get the ball over halfway before an eight-second shot clock violation.
The physical demands weakened the young New Zealand line-up who struggled to get quality looks at the basket.
The Boomers could afford the luxury of rotating their talented and lengthy bench, building up a commanding 70-38 score.
As the game progressed, so the class and skill of the Boomers become increasingly evident.
Coach Goorjian is yet to select his travelling squad for the Olympic Games and every Boomer played like he was on trial. This attitude undoubtedly contributed to a disappointingly limp display from the Tall Blacks, who have yet to qualify for Beijing.
Players the calibre of NBA players Andrew Bogut, David Anderson and Nathan Jawai were all unavailable for this two-game series, highlighting the massive depth Australian basketball has at present.
The Tall Blacks programme is going through a painful transition period following the retirement of a large pool of experienced players.
Development is the key phrase for the Tall Blacks over the next four years but it will be a painful and, at times like last night, embarrassing period for the national squad.
