The Rollers have started their IWBF Asia–Oceania Zone Championships campaign on a high, defeating Japan 72–57 in Bangkok today.
Facing one of the world’s toughest defensive teams, the Rollers delivered a complete team performance to lock in the win.
Head Coach Brad Ness said he was thrilled with the result and proud of his group’s response under pressure.
“I’m stoked!” Ness said.
“We just put up 70-plus points on one of the best defensive teams in the world, which is huge.
“Japan came back in that third quarter and really had a big go at us, but the message to the players was to trust the process.
“They were able to get a couple of stops, which got us going again. Then we went for the jugular at the end, pushed through, and got the win, so I’m really, really happy.”
Australia’s early run was sparked by Frank Pinder, with Ness praising the 24-year-old for setting the tone early.“Frankie really got us going, the work he put in the first quarter was massive.
“He’s got the biggest motor and yet he’s the littlest bloke out there.
“He broke Japan’s lines, got us down the court, and they had no answer for him, which really opened the game up for us, got us the lead in the first quarter, and we never looked back.”
The Rollers will face host nation Thailand tomorrow at 6:30pm AEDT.
