Vickerman, Boomers claim Game 1 victory against Tall Blacks

Dean Vickerman has picked up his first win as Australian Boomers Associate Head Coach following a hard fought contest against the New Zealand Tall Blacks in Adelaide.

Flanked by United Assistant Coach, Jacob Chance, and United forward, Kyle Bowen, Vickerman helped guide his Boomers side to a comeback win over Shea Ili and the Tall Blacks.

Early on in the contest, things looked to be going the way of the visitors, as Ili (12 points, five rebounds) orchestrated their offence and clamped down at the other end.

Things changed in the third quarter as the Boomers started to gain momentum, making the most of their looks from beyond the arc.

Bowen (two rebounds, one steal, one block) provided some stout defence across this period, helping Australia hold New Zealand to just nine points in the period.

Despite his best efforts, Ili couldn’t take the lead back for the Tall Blacks down the stretch, resulting in a 80-68 win for the Boomers in Game 1 of the Trans Tasman Throwdown.

Game 2 will take place on the Sunshine Coast on Friday 9 May from 5:30pm.