Men's Basketball 7/12/2019 2:15:00 PM

MBB | Krebs, Perry Lead Aussies to Bronze in Italy

Gaels' Tanner Krebs and Jock Perry helped the Emerging Boomers claim third at the World University Games this week.

MORAGA, Calif. — Australians Tanner Krebs and Jock Perry represented their country at the World University Games in Italy over the past week and change and helped the Emerging Boomers claim the bronze medal on Thursday with an 86-69 win over Israel.

Australia went 4-2 during the tournament and barely missed out on the championship game in a two-point loss to Ukraine during the semifinals. After dropping their opening game to Israel, the Aussies dominated Mexico the very next day with a 43-point victory. They then defeated the Czech Republic by 29 points before battling past a tough Argentina team 73-64 to reach the semifinals.

In the bronze medal game, Australia redeemed themselves from their earlier 28-point loss to Israel with a decisive victory to earn a spot on the podium. A full replay of the contest can be viewed by clicking here.

Krebs, a redshirt senior this fall, was second in minutes played for his team during the tournament and averaged 8.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and made 87 percent of his free throws. He scored a personal-best 13 against Argentina and totaled 12 more with five assists against Mexico.

"Being able to represent your country at such a prestigious event is an honor," said Krebs. "To come out with a bronze medal is a great feeling and I feel like we did our country proud. Accomplishing this with Jock, who is not only a teammate but a best friend, is icing on the cake."

Perry, a rising redshirt junior, averaged 7.5 minutes off the bench and grabbed 2.2 boards per game. The 7-1 big man had a tournament-best five rebounds against the Czech Republic.

"It's always an honor to represent my country," said Perry. "It's been a long time since I last played for Australia and this tournament was extra special for me to do it with a great bunch of players and coaches. Being able to play with my fellow mate Tanner made it all the more rewarding."

"It was a great experience to play against some of the best under-25 basketball players in the world and I've learned a lot about what I have to do to take my game to the next level," remarked Perry.

The World University Games are a biennial event that brings together college-aged students from around the globe to compete in 18 different sports. There were a total of 16 countries competing in the men's basketball division of the event. This year's summer games were held in Naples, Italy and the next event will take place in Chengdu, China in 2021.

"It's a moment Jock and I will cherish for the rest of our lives," Krebs concluded.

Former Gael Alex Mudronja was also on the Emerging Boomers roster and averaged 4.8 points per game. Mudronja appeared in 20 games last season as a true freshman before signing to play professionally with the Adelaide 36ers in his home country.

Saint Mary's kicks off their season in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Nov. 5 versus Wisconsin.

#GaelsRise – It's time to renew and reserve your season tickets for the 2019-20 basketball season. Call the SMC Ticket Office today at 925-631-4689, email smctickets@stmarys-ca.edu or click the ticket link above to renew your seats now…Saint Mary's Basketball…#GaelsRise

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Players Mentioned

#00 Tanner Krebs: G; 6' 6"; Redshirt Junior

#5 Jock Perry: C; 7' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#00 Tanner Krebs
: 6' 6"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#5 Jock Perry
: 7' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore
: C

Players Mentioned

#00 Tanner Krebs

#5 Jock Perry

Players Mentioned

#00 Tanner Krebs

#5 Jock Perry