Heraklion, Crete – Despite a team-high 14 points from Jack McVeigh, Australia fell to Turkey 81-70 early Friday at the FIBA Under-19 World Championships.
McVeigh, who is averaging 11.4 points on 47 percent shooting and 6.0 rebounds per game during the tournament, led Australia in scoring for the second straight game, but a third-quarter run by Turkey turned the tide in the quarterfinals.
Australia, which used a 7-0 spurt to close the half with a 32-31 lead, eventually extended the 11 points, at 43-34, midway through the third quarter.
Unfortunately, the lead would be short-lived, as Turkey closed the third quarter on a 21-2 surge to take a 55-45 lead at the end of the third quarter, and Australia was unable to cut into the double-figure deficit the remainder of the contest.