Basketball Australia U16 National Championships 2023 live blog – Day 9
A cool-handed point guard, a sheer will to win and the belief of 4000 basketballers - read what drove Victoria Metro to the U16 Nationals gold medal in the tournament live blog.
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In a rollicking, high-quality U16 National Championships finale filled with spice, skill and thrill, the best team in the tournament Vic Metro held off an incredible two-man assault from SA Country to take gold for the second straight year.
Vic approached the game as it had every other in the tournament, exploiting its height and muscle, sharing the rock and riding the organisation and confidence of composed point guard Austin Kirikiri.
They launched a physical barrage at SA Country stars Ethan Macdermot and Kale Matthews-Hampton, letting the two scoring machines know they meant business.
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But the kids from the Country were made of steel, producing some of the finest bucket-getting under duress you will ever see from two 15-year-olds, Macdermot with a remarkable 43 and Matthews-Hampton 32 as they combined for 75 points and did everything humanly possible to shock the Vics.
They fell agonisingly short of becoming the first SA Country team ever to win gold at the Nationals in a 112-106 result that won’t soon be forgotten.
In the dying minutes, as Macdermot splashed trey after trey - he hit eight for the game - Kirikiri kept his composure with the pill, drawing fouls and heading to the line, making all 10 of his free throws - six in the last 1.11 of regulation - to ice the game and seal gold.
“It’s really just my teammates’ trust in me that gave me confidence to do that, it all came from them,” a humble Kirikiri said after the game.
“As a team, it’s me for we.
“I just let it flow and whatever happens, happens.
“It feels pretty good to be U16 boys national champions.”
Back-to-back titles shines a bright light on the rich vein of talent being nurtured in Victoria, proud coach Dom Linosser said.
“It’s a great representation of our state and where we’re at,” Linosser said.
“We’re really proud of the fact that we can come away and represent the over 4000-odd people who play in the VJBL on a Friday night and come and wear the V uniform with pride.
“Hopefully they enjoyed watching the game, hopefully they enjoyed the style of basketball that we played and we’re really stoked to have the medals around our necks.”
Kirikiri paced his team with 33 points to go with 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in an all-court performance that capped off a brilliant tournament.
He’s got that clutch gene and will be one to watch in the future.
“He’s always been that guy we’ve always trusted to make those tough shots and to, at the end of the game, make those tough free throws and I think, without him, it would have been so much harder for us to not just win but bond as a team,” captain Charles Webb said.
It wasn’t just the little point guard dynamo causing havoc, there were heroes everywhere for the boys in navy.
Muscleman Denver Warry used his height and athleticism to finish several key buckets down the stretch on his way to 17 points, Zane Windsor splashed five threes in his 17 - many momentum killers as SA pushed - and vice captain Sam Martin had 11 off the bench.
“I think that’s our Vic Metro depth and it’s a testament to the work that all of the boys put in to make sure they’re ready to go when their number’s called,” Linosser said of his broad spread of contributors.
He sent wiry wing defender Charlie Wilson to Matthews-Hampton who helped hold the gun wing to 34 per cent shooting, while producing 12 points, 7 assists and 6 boards.
Webb stood tall in his best game of the tournament - an 18-point, 9-rebound effort that Linosser said was more impactful than the stat sheet could show.
“Every team needs someone who has a big presence and that’s what we’ve been working with Charles on,” he said.
“Big men at U16s, they don’t necessarily always have the flashiest statlines, but they do lots of the dirty work and Charles has certainly been a heavy lifter in terms of setting our culture, in terms of setting what’s acceptable and who we are as a group.
“His production throughout the week has steadily increased as he’s really grown into that and really learnt to trust himself.
“I can’t speak highly enough of his leadership and his capacity to influence the game in so many more ways than what a stat sheet would show.”
Webb was almost lost for words when asked what winning gold meant to him.
“Being captain in this team, I’m just so proud of being able to do it and being able to represent Vic Metro and win this national championship has just been the best thing,” Webb said.
“I’m just so happy and I can’t really describe how I feel.”
Spare a thought for Country. They threw everything at the Vics and almost pulled off a miracle. The clutch shotmaking down the stretch from their dynamic duo was a sight to be seen, Macdermot hitting a ridiculous three from the Warwick Stadium carpark as time expired.
Captain Will Wimshurst had been their unsung hero throughout the tournament, performing a perfect third foil scoring role for his gun teammates and he lifted in the second half to the tune of 18 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists.
Gardiner puts in heroic effort to hoist the gold
Keira Gardiner has stamped herself as one of the best U16 players in the country, taking over in the National Championship final to lead SA Metro to gold.
Gardiner put SA on her back with a dominant 29-point, 11-rebound performance in her team’s 71-55 win over Vic Metro.
It’s the first time SA Metro has won the tournament since 2014 after last year’s silver medal and captain Polly Turner said her side’s undefeated week was built on teamwork, signified by mascot ‘Larry the Lion’.
“Larry represents teamwork and we are a team, we work together and we’ve achieved gold,” Polly, whose voice was hoarse from the excitement of the game, said.
“It’s awesome to win it all, it’s so good, yaaay!”
Keira joked her big game was inspired by a sneaky pre-game ritual.
“I have a can of red bull before each game and that’s what gives me wings,” she laughed.
She revealed a change in mindset for this year’s Nationals had inspired her dominant tournament, which produced averages of 18.1 points, 9 rebounds (4 off), 2.9 assists and 2 steals per game. There’s no official MVP awarded at the U16 nationals, but few would disagree Keira would have been most deserving.
“It’s just great, last year we got silver but I think I put so much pressure on myself but this year I went in with a different mindset, I actually had fun and I really enjoyed it,” she said.
“I was so nervous about everything last year but this year I just went out and gave it a go, tried to improve game by game and then to win gold, that was just amazing.”
Keira paid tribute to her parents for their support and took pride in her team’s undefeated run through the champs.
As did coach Tim Hillbig.
“It’s a pretty special group of kids we’ve got,” Hillbig said.
“It’s hard work coaching them, they make me go crazy sometimes, but they’re terrific kids and such talented players.
“The whole team and support staff on and off the court has put in and the kids have led it this week, they’ve been fantastic.”
Gardiner is the prototypical modern hooper.
Standing 188cm at just 14 and possessing telescopic arms, she runs like a gazelle and moves like a guard, but is also as strong as an ox – Vic Metro found out that out the hard way as she regularly barged her way through multiple defenders to finish at the cup with ease during the gold medal game.
“We’ve been giving Keira the feedback that she can really perform at this level and it’s just great to see her trust in her own ability and just dominate out there, particularly today,” Hillbig said.
So, what’s Keira like to coach?
“Yeah, Keira’s all right,” he joked
“She’s pretty coachable, with a little bit of sass every now and then - sometimes it’s warranted – and she’s a terrific kid.”
Keira: “It’s not true. It’s a lie,” she responded — with just a little sass.
NSW RIDES MANY HOT HANDS TOWARDS BRONZE MEDAL
Opponents never knew which NSW Metro player was going to bob up and kill them in any given game at the U16 National Championships.
Packed with offensive firepower and a defensive grit to match, Metro rode a bevy of different hot hands throughout the tournament in WA.
And, so it was in the bronze medal game that Nikola Valkovic exploded for 18 points on 9-12 shooting – after averaging 5.29 points per game across his previous seven appearances at Warwick Stadium this week.
The Blues also received a huge performance from young guard Bol Diing, who poured in his tournament high with 27 points, including 5 three-pointers, to go with six rebounds and four steals in the 90-71 win and the towering Zion Okeke reeled in 18 rebounds.
“Every game someone different came through for us,” coach David Hayman said.
“And the guys were all happy to make that sacrifice. If they weren’t playing a personal good game, they were happy to see one of their teammates come through and play well.
“It’s pretty unique at this level to have that.”
NSW found itself in a tight tussle for three quarters against WA but came out in the fourth defensively re-energised, producing a 22-11 stretch that blew the game away.
Young leader Bailey Hanson paid tribute to his teammates in claiming the bronze medal.
“It was a really good effort, we pulled through and really got some stops in the fourth, that’s what got us going,” Bailey said.
“It’s been an awesome tournament, we have a great group of guys, we jelled really well and it was really fun to play together.
“Bronze means everything – it wasn’t the gold, but it’s the next best thing.”
For WA Metro, Lachlan Burnett led four double digit scorers with 17.
Hayman said a medal was the goal for his side entering the tournament.
Objective achieved.
“We’ve got 10 guys, they’re all unselfish, they play together, for us it was a dream to have 10 guys who were happy to give the ball up for a better shot,” he said.
“Their ability to bounce back from losses was really good. Every time we lost the boys all got together, had a good time and were ready to go for the next game.
“It’s my first time as a head coach (at the Nationals), I’ve been before as an assistant, and it’s been very enjoyable. It’s a very pressured environment, but it always makes it fun when you have such good kids to work with.”
Point guard Hanson has displayed an innate ability to see the play unfold before everyone else and seems to know where everyone is on the floor at all times.
“He’s a very high-IQ guard,” Hayman said.
“We had to work on him a little bit with his leadership and his voice but once that voice started coming, that leadership started translating onto the floor.
“We’ve seen great progression from him and our other guys throughout the tournament.”
QUEENSLAND CLAIMS DRAMATIC BRONZE
In Queensland North’s biggest game of the U16 Nationals, Isabel Smith just couldn’t get her shot to fall.
But, when the chips were down as the Maroons battled back from a horror start to take bronze in a thrilling overtime win over NSW Metro, the 13-year-old delivered the goods.
Unperturbed by her struggles from the field, Smith made two enormous buckets – her first field goals – late in the overtime period that helped seal the 72-70 win.
Coach Will Lopez hailed the wing’s all-court ability and said he breathed a sigh of relief thanks to her clutch play.
“We’ve put a lot on her as a young girl,” Lopez said.
“It’s been a theme this week that, if the shot’s not dropping, you look through the box score, she’s rebounding, she’s defending, she’s creating for others.
“She has an impact everywhere on the game, not just the scoreboard, and she chose the big moment today, which I’m thankful for.”
Down 11-3 in the first quarter after a stunning start from NSW, Isabel said the Queenslanders stuck together to weather the storm.
“It was so stressful at the start when we were down,” Isabel said.
“All our threes were hitting, so that really helped us, but we really just worked hard as a team to come back, it was amazing.
“It’s been a big week for us so it’s really nice to finish with bronze.”
Down at the start of the fourth quarter, the Queenslanders allowed a 6-1 run that could have killed off the game. But a blanketing full-court press curtailed the NSW offence and Maggie Thorburn also erupted late to ensure North stayed alive.
“She’s an absolute warrior, she just battles hard, she’s unassuming, she cuts well, she defends her butt off and she’s a great scorer, I couldn‘t be prouder of her,” Lopez said of Maggie, who poured in a team-high 21 points in the win.
Lopez revealed flight delays caused early disruption to the team’s prep.
“We had a rough start to the tournament with our flights but they’ve just played through the adversity,” he said.
“They’ve stayed in the fight when they’ve been down, they’ve trusted each other and they deserve this.”
Emerging star Taryn Bond was relentless, ripping down 16 rebounds to go with 18 points against the monster NSW frontline. The Blues had standout performances in the back court from Malki Halwala, who has stamped her name in this tournament and had a game-high 23 points – many of them down the stretch to keep NSW alive – and Kaila Proctor, younger sister of young Aussie and Duke University star Tyrese Proctor. She had 19 alongside Halwala.
Lopez believes the pressure of the close result could prove crucial to his players’ development.
“You want to be in tight games,” he said.
“These girls will remember this forever and hopefully the experience helps them some day on the world stage for Australia.”
An assistant under Adam Forde at Cairns Taipans, Lopez said the same coaching principles applied, whether it was an NBL club or the U16 girls.
“At the end of the day, it’s coaching,” he said.
“I love coaching, I love any kind of challenge.
“We just try to play the right way, trust the players and that’s what we did in the end.
“We put a game plan together for them to play and they executed it and that’s what makes it special.”
HOW DYNAMIC DUO HAS SA ON THE BRINK OF NATIONALS HISTORY
It became very apparent early on at the U16 National Championships that SA Country would be one of the most watchable teams in WA.
And, as the tournament reaches its crescendo, this team has shown it as damn good, too.
Led by boom duo Ethan MacDermot and Kale Matthews-Hampton, they’re on the verge of history in today’s championship decider with Victoria Metro as the first SA Country team to ever win gold at the U16 Nationals.
Boasting a bevy of elite athletes and armed with a plan to push the pace and run opponents off their feet, Country stormed through their pool without a blemish and then survived a thrilling quarter-final battle with Queensland North to remain undefeated.
Kale has recorded a monster 48-point night and a triple-double in the tournament and Ethan is the ice-cold scorer who has stepped up when the team needed him most.
The Eastern Mavericks product had 26 points and 8 rebounds in the semi final after exploding for a game-high 30 in the quarters – 8 of those coming in the fourth quarter.
“Me and Kale the entire tournament have been doing really well together, especially when one of us can’t get scores, we can play make for each other,” Ethan said.
“But our whole team works well together and we enjoy being with each other.
“We push the ball in transition, we get a lot of shots up and we have a bunch of confidence.
It’s no surprise to coach Ben MacCulloch when his young charge steps up in the face of adversity.
“He’s stone-faced, nothing seems to faze him, he’s very calm and collected,” MacCulloch said.
“He’s a pleasure to coach, gets to his spots and takes good shots and sometimes you even caught up in watching what he does, too.”
That poise might have something to do with Ethan’s efforts to emulate late NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s famed Mamba Mentality.
“The player I look up to is Kobe Bryant, because of his mentality and how hard he worked,” Ethan said.
“Want to work as hard as him and hopefully maybe go to college and play professionally.”
Country has been the feel-good story of the tournament and it’s filled MacCulloch with pride.
“It’s been a fantastic effort and I’m super proud of everyone involved, from the high performance manager Mel Downer to the manager on the floor and physio,” he said.
“Recovery’s been crucial because it’s been a brutal week, so I’m just super happy our kids are riding the wave, it’s been surreal.”
The coach will be hoping to stay on that wave for one more game – a chance at gold at stake against the might of Vic Metro today – but he knows his boys’ success means there’s a target on their back and he’s embracing it.
“We know everyone’s coming for us but we’re coming for them as well, it’s going to be a great battle and a dogfight every time we hit the floor,” he said.
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