[Extended highlights REPLAY]
Leading 27-9 after one quarter the Boomers lost the advantage in the second stanza and trailed by two points in the third period before powering home in the latter stages to take a commanding victory.
Turkey came into the match on a three-game win streak but was without their two NBA stars, Hedo Turkoglu and Ersan Ilyasova, while Australia fielded a team with three debutantes in its search for role players on the 2010 World Championship team.
Eighteen year old Victorian Matthew Dellavedova was the Boomer to step up, with the point guard top scoring for Australia with a game high 13 points to go with a team high 6 rebounds.
Gold Coast Blaze sharp shooter James Harvey added 12 points and 6 assists while Oscar Forman contributed 12 points in the victory.
206cm forward Umit Sonkol had 11 points to lead Turkey.
Boomers head coach Brett Brown said before the match he wanted an increase in determination and tenacity from his playing group and the athletes responded.
“Everybody was and is hurting from our loss to New Zealand but we had to put it behind us and we had to have a spirit to us if we wanted to win this game,” Brown said.
“That’s our special ingredient as an Australian team that separates us from other countries and we showed it tonight and I’m happy about that.
“Dellavedova continues to impress,” Brown added. “Part of our mission this year was to discover a point guard that could play alongside Patty Mills in London and Delly keeps getting better and he plays with a demeanor that I like and he’s not intimidated by the stage.
“Full credit to him; he earned the right to start the game for us tonight and he did it well.”
Australia’s next opponent at the Stankovic Cup will be host nation China with the game tipping off tomorrow, Saturday 29 August, at 9:30pm AET.
China, smarting after losing the FIBA Asia Championship to Iran 70-52, plays Angola in the second match of the first round tonight.
The Boomers got off to a flier in the first period with Crawford draining a three and Ogilvy and Forman combining to put Australia ahead 13-4 after four minutes of play and when Forman and Harvey knocked down some long bombs Australia was up by thirteen.
Ater Majok showed no nerves in his international debut sinking 4-of-4 from the free throw line to keep the scoreboard ticking over and after Liam Rush hit another three for Australia and Damian Martin milked a free throw point near the buzzer the Boomers had completed their most one-sided quarter of the season, topping Turkey 27-9.
Two Boomers turnovers opened the door for a 6-0 Turkish run to open the second quarter before Stephen Weigh stole the ball and found Jacob Homes for a layup. Turkey then opened up from long range with two bombs and the onslaught continued.
Just as they had in the third quarter against New Zealand in the Oceania Championship, the Boomers bore the brunt of an 18-2 run until teenage sensation Dellavedova hit a running floater and then a three pointer to keep Australia in front.
In a tale of hot and cold, the Boomers lost the second quarter 23-7 but stayed ahead at half time, 34-32.
AJ Ogilvy got the Boomers rolling after the break with two finishes close to the basket but after four minutes of play Turkey had come all the way back from seventeen down in the first quarter to lead by two points, 40-38.
Harvey connected on a three-pointer almost out of spite and when Dellavedova followed with the same Harvey was inspired to another three-pointer. Martin then found Schenscher for a dunk and Australia had put on an 11-0 run to lead 49-40.
After winning the third period 17-11 Australia led by eight points, 51-43 with one quarter to play.
Points were rarer than a pigeon in a Chinese park in the fourth period and after nearly five minutes of play the score had advanced by two baskets to 53-45.
With four minutes remaining Dellavedova connected on a three-pointer then on the ensuing play finished two free throws before Schenshcher converted an offensive board to cap a 7-0 run that put the Boomers up by thirteen, 62-49.
Turkey had hope when it hit a three-pointer after a time out but Ogilvy scored close to the basket before Harvey and Forman turned the knife with back to back threes as the clock neared time.
Australia closed out the quarter 19-11 winners and the half 36-22 to take the match by a commanding 16 points, just one shy of the large lead they built and lost in the earlier stages.
Quarter by quarter:
1. AUS 27 TUR 9
H: AUS 34 TUR 32 (7-23)
3: AUS 51 TUR 43 (17-11)
F: AUS 70 TUR 54 (19-11)
AUSTRALIA 70 (Matthew Dellavedova 13, James Harvey 12, Oscar Forman 12) bt
TURKEY 54 (Umit Sonkol 11, H Demeril 9, M Akpinar 8)
at Boris Stankovic Continental Cup
in Kunshan City, China
