The Emus secured a 6th-place finish at the 2025 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland — their best result in ten years.
Group Phase: Battling Through the “Group of Death”
Game 1: USA 88, Australia 73
Australia opened their campaign against powerhouse USA.
Despite a brave effort, the Emus couldn’t overcome the Americans' depth.
Jacob Furphy led the charge with 24 points.
Game 2: Australia 101, Cameroon 96 (2OT)
In a double-overtime thriller, Australia outlasted Cameroon in one of the tournament’s most dramatic games.
A rare own-basket dunk by Cameroon’s Amadou Seini proved pivotal, swinging the momentum in Australia’s favour.
Dash Daniels and Roman Siulepa each scored 22 points, with Furphy adding 18.
Game 3: Australia 71, France 63
Needing a win to advance, the Emus delivered a strong performance against France.
Cohesive team play and tenacious defence secured the victory and a place in the knockout rounds.
Knockout Rounds
Round of 16: Australia 106, Dominican Republic 96
Australia punched their ticket to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2015, outpacing the Dominican Republic.
Quarter-Finals: Germany 80, Australia 67
The Emus’ title hopes ended in the quarterfinals against a strong German side, who later went on to secure Silver in the Gold Medal game.
A third-quarter surge narrowed the gap, but Australia couldn’t sustain the run.
Classification Game (5th–8th): Australia 84, Israel 76
Bouncing back from the quarterfinal loss, the Emus overcame Israel to earn a place in the 5th-place playoff.
5th-Place Game: Canada 85, Australia 78
In a tightly contested finale, Australia fell just short against Canada, wrapping up the tournament in 6th place.
Final Standings
- USA
- Germany
- New Zealand
- Slovenia
- Canada
- Australia
Australian Referees on the World Stage
It wasn’t just the players flying the flag in Lausanne. Two Australian referees were also recognised for their outstanding performances.
James Griguol was appointed to officiate the Gold Medal game between USA and Germany, while Nicolas Fernandes was selected to referee the 7th–8th classification game between Switzerland and Israel.
A tremendous achievement for both officials and a proud moment for Australian basketball.
View Box Scores for all games from the FIBA U19 World Cup here.
