Galloway Leads Boomers Past Lebanon in Asia Cup

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The Australian Boomers have extended their unbeaten run at the FIBA Asia Cup, defeating Lebanon 93–80 in a strong display led by Jaylin Galloway’s standout first-quarter performance.

Australia’s national men’s basketball team began their title defence with a dominant 36-point win over South Korea earlier in the week. In their second group-stage game, they faced a more resilient Lebanese side but still emerged victorious in Saudi Arabia.

Galloway, who is preparing for his return to the NBL with the Sydney Kings after shoulder surgery, opened the scoring with a three-pointer. His early burst saw him notch 10 points within four minutes, helping Australia to a 20–4 lead.

South East Melbourne Phoenix’s Owen Foxwell contributed early as well, landing a three-pointer to stretch the margin to 15–2 just three minutes in. By the end of the first quarter, Australia held a commanding 31–14 advantage.

Lebanon, however, showed determination, challenging the Boomers across the remaining three quarters. Australia maintained a 58–38 lead at halftime and extended it to 24 points by the third-quarter break.

The final term saw Lebanon respond with energy, scoring the first eight points and twice reducing the margin to 13. However, Australia held firm to secure the win despite being outscored 20–9 in the final quarter.

Shooting efficiency dropped for the Boomers in the second half, finishing at 40.5 per cent from the field and 28.2 per cent from beyond the arc. Nevertheless, they dominated the offensive glass with 21 rebounds, converting those into 18 second-chance points.

Galloway ended the game with 18 points, five rebounds, four steals, and three assists on an efficient 6/8 shooting. Reyne Smith, newly signed to the Cairns Taipans, also recorded 18 points, alongside five rebounds and three assists. Jack McVeigh added 11 points and three assists.

Xavier Cooks contributed across the board with nine points, five rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. Foxwell finished with seven points, four rebounds and four assists, while Jack White led the team in rebounding with 10 boards.

For Lebanon, Youssef Khayat led all scorers with 22 points and six rebounds. Ali Mansour added 12 points and five assists, while Ali Haidar and Karim Zeinoun chipped in with 11 each.

Australia will conclude the group phase on Sunday against Qatar, aiming to continue their strong momentum into the quarter-finals.

In other group-stage action, New Zealand defeated the Philippines 94–86. Jordan Ngatai led the Tall Blacks with 22 points, with Taylor Britt and Flynn Cameron combining for 31 points and 11 assists.

New Zealand’s final group game is scheduled for Saturday against Chinese Taipei.