The group phase of the Under 16 Australian Junior Championships in Darwin has concluded with the teams all enjoying a well-deserved break today before finals get underway on Friday and continuing throughout the weekend.
The first three days of play saw some incredible moments from the next generation of talent in Australian basketball, with play-by-play highlights spread across the board.
Both boys and girls Queensland North and South teams rose to the top, with only the girls QLD North side dropping a game, the rest remaining undefeated heading into the finals.
The South Australian Metro and Country girls were dominant against the rest of the competition, with Metro also holding a winning streak and Country taking two wins to the finals weekend.
Sitting on two wins each in the boy’s competition, Tasmania and WA Metro are keeping both Qld teams right on their toes.
Qld South’s Lebron Brooks has played a standout tournament, leading the scoring so far with 64 points, averaging 21pts per game. Defensively SA Metro’s Alex Dodson has powered through his opponent’s attack, averaging 13 rebounds however he’s also managed to hit the scoreboard, hitting 46 points, sitting fifth in the competition.
Meanwhile, SA Country’s Sienna Lehmann has impressed on the national stage, leading the scoring with 73 points across the three games, averaging 24pts and an incredible 15 rebounds, making her the leading defensive player also.
The finals tip-off on Friday morning between the Qld South and SA Country boys’ teams, with SA Country and WA Country opening the finals for the girls in the afternoon.
Full finals fixture here.
Games broadcast live and free across Kayo Freebies or Basketball Australia’s YouTube channel.
Follow along the Basketball Australia social channels for updates throughout the finals.
Twitter: @BasketballAus Instagram: @basketballaus Facebook: Basketball Australia.
In the spirit of reconciliation Basketball Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.