Feature image via: Taylor Earnshaw
The Basketball Australia Under-20 and Ivor Burge National Championships concluded on Sunday, with both Victorian teams taking out gold in Ballarat.
The women’s side featured Melbourne Tigers young gun Lily Carmody, Centre of Excellence trio Bonnie Deas, Sarah Portlock and Sienna Harvey, Sandringham’s Hannah Wickstorm, Casey’s Asha Nightingale and Kyra Webb, Dandenong’s Manuela Puoch, Knox’s Paige Burrows and Ballarat’s Jemma Amoore.
They beat the South Australian women 75-59, with Harvey scoring a game-high 29 points with six rebounds and four assists to claim back-to-back gold medal finishes.
On the men’s side, the Victorian men escaped with a win 106-104 against Queensland, off the back of NBL1 National Champion Austin Rapp clinching the game with a jaw-dropping buzzer-beater.
He finished the game with 32 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and two steals, with the Centre of Excellence’s Luke Fennell adding 22 points with six assists and rebounds.
For Queensland, South West Metro Pirates prodigy Roman Siulepa had 29 points and seven rebounds in the close finish – being named the winner of the Bob Staunton Medal (Most Outstanding) Male Player of the Tournament. While on the women's side, CoE product Bonnie Dea's won Bob Staunton Medal.
Newcastle Falcons signing Isla Juffermans was set for a major tournament coming off the WNBL with the Sydney Flames. She unfortunately hurt her knee during the tournament but still managed to lead NSW to a bronze medal, with NBL1 East champion Caitlyn Martin carrying the load with 20 points with four assists and rebounds against Queensland.
