"VAN" (Sports Desk - 18.08.2025) :: Australia successfully completed their FIBA Asia Cup 'three-peat' bid after surviving China in a thrilling Final of the 2025 competitions, 90-89, on Sunday night at the King Abdullah Sports City.
Xavier Cooks led the way with 30 points and 9 rebounds. Jaylin Galloway made 23 points and 5 rebounds, while William Hickey supplied 15 points as they led the fourth-quarter turnaround after being down by 15 early.
Hickey nailed the go-ahead bucket with 1:09 remaining to give themselves the lead for good, before free throws by Will Magnay and Cooks in separate trips inside the closing seconds enabled the team to stay ahead.
A missed three-pointer by Hu Mingxuan on the other as time expired were all enough for Australia to escape with the one-point win and, more importantly, extend their dominion for the third successive time.
Australia have now become just the second team in Asia Cup history to achieve a treble after, coincidentally, China, who accomplished as much back in 2003 in Harbin to cop their 13th of 16 championships.
The Boomers have also extended their unbeaten run in the tournament to 18 games.
Hu, on the other hand, led China with 26 points in a losing effort. Hu Jinqiu finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Cheng Shuaipeng and Zhao Rui added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
China settled for silver following the defeat, the team's first medal in a decade or since winning the gold during the 2015 competitions in Changsha after beating the Philippines in the Final.
Meanwhile, Iran won the bronze after taking down New Zealand in the Third-Place Game, 79-73, earlier in the day to give the program its first Asia Cup medal since taking home silver in 2017 in Beirut, Lebanon.
FIBA Asia Cup 2025 final standings:-
1. Australia
2. China
3. Iran
4. New Zealand
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