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CAN William "Davo" Hickey score a match-clinching three when you need it? Better yet, can he produce a match-WINNING three when you need it? Those two questions have been answered, the latter earlier tonight, the former last week as Australia stopped New Zealand twice in FIBA World Cup qualifying thrillers.

In Hobart on Friday and with 36 seconds remaining, Australia's point guard turned a 79-78 lead into an 82-78 buffer with a triple that clinched a game ultimately won 84-79.

Then tonight in Wellington, with Australia trailing 76-77, Hickey went right out of a pick-and-roll with Keanu Pinder (game-high 21 points) to bank a 3-point match-winner that again broke the hearts of the Tall Blacks and their raucous home crowd.

Having switched off Pinder and out onto Hickey with Izayah Le'Afa on the roll, Yanni Wetzell was left in no-man's land as the NBL's unofficial reigning Larry Sengstock Medallist rose to score the game-winner.

It completed a 2-0 Boomers' sweep over New Zealand while leaving little doubt the cross-Tasman rivals will dominate Group A through the rest of the World Cup qualifying windows.

The match, a terrific close contest throughout, also featured a powerful Sam Mennenga dunk over Aussie forward Jack White that will likely see the latter miss his next eight free throws when back playing in Turkey, still shaking from the impact.

FIBA World Cup Qualifiers - ASIA

Group A: Australia Boomers 84 (Galloway 19, Glover 17, Hickey 12, White 10; Kay 8 rebs; Hickey 6 assts) d New Zealand Tall Blacks 79 (Mennenga 19, Cameron 15, Delany 10; Mennenga 10 rebs; Cameron 7 assts) in Hobart. Philippines 87 d Guam 46 in Guam. Australia Boomers 79 (Pinder 21, Kay 20, Galloway 13, Hickey 12; Kay 9 rebs; Hickey 7 assts) d New Zealand Tall Blacks 77 (Mennenga 16, King 13, Cameron 9; Harrison, Wetzell 8 rebs; King 5 assts) in Wellington. Philippines 95 d Guam 71 in Philippines. Table: Philippines 2-0, Australia 2-0, New Zealand 0-2, Guam 0-2

Group B: Japan 90 d Chinese Taipei 64 in Kobe, Japan. Korea 80 d China 76 in Wukesong, China. Korea 90 d China 76 in Korea. Japan 80 d Chinese Taipei 73 in Taipei. Table: Japan 2-0, Korea 2-0, China 0-2, Chinese Taipei 0-2

Group C: Iran 94 d Iraq 68 in Lebanon. Jordan 74 d Syria 59 in Jordan. Iran 86 d Iraq 71 in Lebanon. Jordan 100 d Syria 48 in Jordan. Table: Jordan 2-0, Iran 2-0, Iraq 0-2, Syria 0-2

Group D: Lebanon 75 d Qatar 74 in Qatar. Saudi Arabia 75 d India 51 in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia 81 d India 57 in Nehru, India. Qatar 86 d Lebanon 83 in Lebanon. Table: Saudi Arabia 2-0, Qatar 1-1, Lebanon 1-1, India 0-2