MELBOURNE, Australia — The first round of FIBA World Cup qualifying has concluded, with the Australia Boomers punching their ticket to the second round. In their final qualifying game on July 3, Saint Mary's guard Alex Ducas made his debut for the Boomers as they took down China 71-48 to keep an unblemished qualifying record intact.
 
Ducas enjoyed the best season of his collegiate career at Saint Mary's during the 2021-22 season, where he started all 34 games for the Gaels. He set career-bests in points per game (10.3) and minutes per game (29.8) while leading Saint Mary's in three-pointers made. He took home West Coast Conference Player of the Week honors on January 24 after scoring 17 and 25 points in consecutive SMC wins, and capped of his season with All-WCC Second Team honors for the first time in his career.
 
All of his success on the court helped Saint Mary's reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. The Gaels were a No. 5 seed in the tournament, their best seed ever achieved in the tournament, and they won their sixth-ever NCAA Tournament game, beating Indiana 82-53. In the win over the Hoosiers, Ducas scored 13 points on 3-6 from beyond the arc, while adding four rebounds and two steals.
 
Ducas checked into the win over China late in the fourth quarter, with the Boomers having already taken command of the game. Jack McVeigh and Clint Steindl (former SMC Gael) had been injured earlier in the game, opening the door for Ducas to make his debut. The experience was even sweeter for Ducas, who used to be a floor mopper for the Boomers while growing up in Australia.
 
Australia used a 26-3 run in the fourth quarter to put away China and remain unbeaten in qualifying play, with previous wins over China and Japan in the previous week. The Boomers are 6-0 in qualifying play since February 25.
 
They will put that record to the test beginning on August 25 for their next round of qualifying games, when they take on Bahrain and Iran.
 
#GaelsRise – Tickets for the third Gaels All-Star Classic, presented by Common Interest Management, are on sale now! Don't miss your chance to see some of the greatest Gaels players in recent memory return to University Credit Union Pavilion on Sunday, July 17 for an Alumni Game at 2:00 pm and the All-Star Classic at 4:00 pm. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Jock Landale Garden Gnome. Click HERE for tickets.