By Matt Bartolo
The match was a dramatic improvement from their third clash where they went down to Japanese 17-10 and now would be terribly unlucky to be knocked out of the tournament at the group stage.
From the outset the Aussies looked strong as they drove strong to the basket, drained their jump shots and starved the Italians of offensive options.
Captain Olivia Bontempelli again got the ball rolling for the Australians scoring the first basket of the match before Hannah Kaser and Rosemary Fadljevic helped give the Aussies a 10-4 lead midway through the first half.
While Bontempelli has been racking up the points, the team knew they had to share the load if they are to be a threat in the competition.
Fedjlevic remained extremely strong in the key as she choked any chance the Italians had in getting clear shots close to the basket.
Bontempelli sealed a strong first half draining a deep two to complete a 10-2 run and give the green and gold a 14-6 half time lead.
The Aussies picked up where they left off in the first half, eventually opening up a 19-6 lead as sharp shooter Kaser put away three of her game high 13 points.
The team continued to dominate and finished off what was by far their most complete performance with Bontempelli draining a three point buzzer beater that could prove valuable if the quarter finalists are decided on a count-back.
While Bontempelli has been racking up the points, the team knew they had to share the load if they are to be a threat in the competition.
“I knew I had to get out there today and not leave the girls in the dry,” said Fedjlevic.
“My shooting finally started to drop,” added Kaser.
“I gave up stressing about it and relaxed and I just got out there and pretended I was just back at home and that’s what I am going to continue doing in upcoming games.”
The Aussies knew that they had to lift for the match in order to still be in with a shot to claim a medal at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games.
“I think we learned from yesterday’s loss and that obviously made us better today,” said Fedjlevic.
“Hopefully we go out there and get the result we always wanted, gold.”
The team will now anxiously await the results of the final group games. Australia will be assured a quarter final birth if Italy fails to beat Chile by more than 12 points or Japan fail to win both matches against France and Chile by a combined total of 25 points or more.
The Aussies will now enjoy two rest days before they are set to once again take to the court in either the quarter finals or classifications at Scape Youth Space, Singapore.
Click on the following to view Australia's previous match reports:
Image courtesy of Kangaroo Photos
