GLIDDON AND MCCARRON WIN GOLD WITH BOOMERS

AUSTRALIA have won basketball’s Asia Cup in their first attempt by beating Iran 79-56 in the final in Lebanon.

The Boomers were led by veteran forward Brad Newley with 18 points, while centre Daniel Kickert starred with 14 points and six rebounds to help see off world No.25 Iran in Beirut on Sunday. The Australian side, which included Cairns Taipans Cameron Gliddon and Mitch McCarron, took a fourpoint lead into the first break after running out to an early 12-2 buffer.

But they never looked back following a 25-12 second quarter, with Mitch Creek scoring 12 to cap off a strong campaign.

Former Memphis Grizzlies centre Hamed Haddadi, the tournament’s most valuable player, scored 18 points for Iran.

Tenth-ranked Australia, made up of NBL players with overseas-based players unavailable, went through their first Asia Cup campaign undefeated. The Andrej Lemaniscoached outfit were seldom troubled, winning their six games by an average of 29 points.

Despite their dominance, no Boomers were named in the tournament’s All-Star five.

Australia will next turn their attention to reaching the World Cup in China in 2019, with Asian qualification to begin in November.

Gliddon and McCarron will soon return to the Far North and continue training with their Snakes teammates ahead of their preseason clash with the Brisbane Bullets in Rockhampton on September 2.

Picture: STEWART McLEAN IN KNOW: University of Texas coach Shaka Smart talks to his players at the Cairns Taipans clash, which he was happy to see former college counterpart Scoochie Smith sit out.