A farcical ejection of a young Boomer stole the show from Australia’s massive win

Australia’s young Boomers side may have produced a massive win in Country Victoria, but it was a controversial ejection that stole the show. WATCH THE VIDEO.

Teen Boomers’ prodigy Emmett Adair was ejected amid farcical scenes during Australia’s 50-point demolition of Thailand, overshadowing scoring explosions from combustible guards Elijah Pepper and Isaac White.

Adair, 19, was given his marching orders late in the third quarter of the Boomers’ 114-64 FIBA Asia Cup qualifying annihilation after he inadvertently caught Thailand’s Martin Breunig high during a rebounding contest.

The contact was almost negligible, but Breunig’s reaction made it appear as if he was hit in the face with a baseball bat, a reaction that would have made every professional soccer player proud.

And the referees in Traralgon, on review, bought it. Following a first-quarter unsportsmanlike foul for a separate incident involving Breunig, the Loyola Maryland-bound Centre of Excellence product was sent from the stadium in just his second senior Boomers’ appearance when the third-quarter call was upgraded on review.

Emmett Adair was ejected. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

A bemused Adair could only crack a wry smile as he left the court, with an unfair black mark so early in his international career.

Boomers’ coach Jacob Chance was gutted for his young charge.

“Just disappointed for him (Adair) I thought he played really well,” Chance said.

“Flat for him, to have family here and not get to play a little bit more.

“He’s had a really good week, really, surprised me. He’s a talented kid who’s going to be a part of this for a long time.”

Breunig admitted he struggled with the Boomers’ physicality and said Adair’s contact was caused by “an unnatural movement”.

“They were giving me a hard time all game long with a double team, wasn’t easy,” 203cm Breunig said.

“I talked to the ref on the very first contact he had. Usually from Germany when contact is in the face they always got to look at it because it can happen.

“But sometimes it’s an unnatural movement, and I think that was two times in that case, it was an unnatural movement that it went like a hit to the face.”

Post-game, White could only joke Adair was “just a very angry man” when asked about his teammate’s ejection.

“ I don’t know. I really don’t know. He’s harmless as. He’s just a little clumsy, more than anything,” White said.

The bizarre decision did nothing to halt the Aussies’ momentum, Brisbane Bullet White (22) and Perth Wildcat Pepper (24) combining for 46 points.

Pepper, whose focus will now shift to an NBL semi final clash with Melbourne United, led the Boomers’ scoring in both country Victorian games, backing up from 18 against Indonesia on Thursday night.

White matched his NBL career high with 22, bouncing back from a wayward 1-9 against the Indonesians to pot nine of his 15 attempts and dish out a game-high 6 assists, a performance he attributed to a “mentality shift”.

“I was a little disappointed with my individual performance the other night, felt like (my) decision-making was a little bit off,” he said.

“I  let myself get a little bit flustered with the way Indonesia played ... so kind of just a mentality shift.”

All 11 Boomers got on the scoresheet in the rout and their unselfishness in handing out 34 dimes on 48 made field goals would have pleased the basketball purists.

Mr Boomer Nick Kay was at his efficient best, lacing his 15 points with 8 rebounds and 4 assists, while Pepper’s Perth teammate David Okwera continued his strong Thursday night form with a stat-stuffing 11 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and a block.

The Australians had already qualified for the Asia Cup prior to these games but a third-string team of savvy veterans and young up-and-comers made no mistake, ensuring they go into the August’s tournament a perfect 6-0.

Originally published as A farcical ejection of a young Boomer stole the show from Australia’s massive win