Watch the grand finals from the Basketball Australia Under-20 and Ivor Burge National Championships (U20's & Ivor Burge National Championships)

Western Australia have broken a 22-year U20 men’s title drought on the back of their dynamic duo while NSW stunned Victoria in the women’s decider. Catch up on a huge day in Geelong.

The best team at the U20 National Championships has been deservedly crowned with gold, ed by tournament MVP Ben Henshall.

WA’s unbeaten run to the coveted 2023 title, culminated in a 108-71 stomping of a NSW side missing its best player in injured point guard Josh Dent.

Here’s how they did it:

The 2023 men's champions in celebration mode.

RUN, RUN, RUN

It was always going to be tough for NSW without floor general Josh Dent. The gun point guard was one of the best players in the tournament, but injured his shoulder in the semifinal against Queensland and was unable to dress for the decider.

NSW coach Brook Pierce tried to push his charges to play a run and gun game every time they took possession in a bid to avoid getting deep into halfcourt sets where, without Dent, the team’s ball handling and play making ability was diminished.

BABY BOOMERS

It was a shame Dent was missing for NSW, but watching next-gen Australian Boomers Henshall and Alex Condon operate was pure joy.

Henshall, particularly, is very easy on the eye - his body control when powering to the hoop is a thing of beauty. Defenders are falling to earth as he continues to glide through the air, contort, and finish with a soft touch in traffic.

He looked a class above everyone else on the court as he compiled 24 points, 5 rebounds and five assists.

Mate Condon is big and strong, with vice-like hands on the glass, combined with power on the inside and a lighter touch on his short game. He, too, had 24 points, adding 9 rebounds, 3 assists to go with a block and a steal for good measure. They’ll only get better in the Boomers camp with Dean Vickerman this week.

NO COMEBACK FOR THE BLUE BOYS

In the women’s gold medal game, NSW was jumped by Victoria, surrendering an early 13-point lead to Victoria, before whittling away at the margin and coming home like a steam train.

Not in this one - it was over at quarter time and got worse, before the Blues showed a little pluck, winning the third 19-16. Party time followed for WA as NSW gave up the fight in the last and the men from the west piled it on.

Joshua Ibukunoluwa had a huge impact on the game.

JIMMY’S EMERGENCE

Spare a thought for NSW scoring machine James O’Donnell.

He’s been one of the raging success stories of the tournament, rising from playing local rep ball to one of the leading scorers in Geelong. He was, again, NSW most dangerous player and capped off a tournament where he averaged almost 18 points and nine rebounds with 17 points and 9 boards, one of only two New South Welshmen in double digits. The other was Noah Pagotto, who had 14 points before being crowned the tournament’s best defensive player..

BIG JOSH’S BIG SEQUENCE

There’s a reason why lanky WA big man Josh Ibukunoluwa is attracting interest from US colleges. The big kid is raw, but athletic and plays both ends of the floor.

In what was perhaps the finest period of the game, Big Ibu got on the end of a fast break two-handed hammer, sprinted back up the other end to block a NSW shot, then got loose on the next trip for an easy layup.

He’s the sort of raw athletic talent that could be anything if it comes together.

WOMEN’S GOLD MEDAL

- Michael Randall

NSW is the Women’s U20 National Champion for 2023 after a final-quarter Carla Pitman ignition that left a gallant Victoria with no answers.

The smaller, quicker Vics came out firing, the first quarter apart with a 21-8 run that could have been curtains for NSW.

But the Blues had other ideas, slowing the tempo, and whittling away at the lead.

A 30-15 run gave them a two-point lead going into the main break and, what followed was a brutal arm wrestle, NSW proving too strong in the end.

Here’s what we saw.

NSW v Victoria (U20W Gold)

BEST GAME OF THE TOURNAMENT?

It was fitting the two best teams in at the champs turned on one for the ages in Geelong.

Victoria came out on fire, NSW methodically reeled them in and, from there, it was a remarkable battle that left both teams gassed as they had to fight tooth and nail for every bucket and every loose ball.

Numerous lead changes meant the opposing fans took it in turns to see who could be the loudest in the stands. It made for a fantastic spectacle of quality basketball from the two powerhouse states.

PIT-MANIA

Take a bow, Carla Pitman. The NSW star was everywhere in the last quarter when the game was to be won, scoring 14 points - including the Blues’ last nine - to give her side an unassailable lead. It wasn’t just the last quarter she made an impact - her effort on defence helped NSW turn the tide after they were jumped by Victoria.

Her 22-6-5 was a grand final MVP performance.

Celebration time for the NSW girls.

OPERATION: STOP ISLA

Most teams have tried - and failed - to stop marauding NSW big Isla Juffermans. Victoria was the only team to have any success in the pool games and they, again, swarmed her every time she touched the ball, daring the rest of the NSW team to beat them.

At times, three and four women in navy blue went at the 196cm giant as she went to work down low.

LOADING UP

The main beneficiary of the Vics’ hyper-focus on Juffermans was sweet-shooting bench spark plug Emma Donnelly.

The microwave scorer caught fire as she found plenty of leeway to use her gorgeous jump shot and was afforded space to get to the cup. Her game-high 24 points came on 8-16 shooting.

There was very little between NSW and Victoria

TURN THE PAIGE

Coaches often tell Victorian Energiser bunny Paige Burrows to look for her shot more. If her start to the game was anything to go by, she’s finally starting to listen.

The Melbourne Boomers development player led a helter-skelter Vic team to an early 13-point lead, scoring the team’s first seven points on her way to 10 for the opening quarter.

HANNAH GETS HOT BEFORE CRICHTON HELPS OUT

During Victoria’s early run, Hannah Wickstrom hit two threes in 27 seconds, half of her four in the first half.

Once she cooled off, uber-talented young gun Dakota Crichton lifted her intensity on the offensive end with a brilliant third quarter that kept the Vics in the game.

MEN’S IVOR BURGE GOLD MEDAL

- Brayden May

An early tournament wake up call sparked South Australia’s run to the Ivor Burge men’s title, according to coach Taylor Renshaw.

The basketball powerhouse lost their opening game of the tournament to Victoria by more than 50 points but refused to panic.

Instead, they built slowly and patiently before peaking in the decider with a big victory against the same opposition.

Renshaw knew his team could respond.

Victoria v South Australia (IB Men Gold)

“That game on Tuesday was our first loss in 40 games basketball or four years of national level basketball,” he said.

“And it was almost the slap in the face the boys needed to show them you can’t take anything for granted and you’ve got to work for everything.”

In the end, it all came down to preparation and executing on every possession.

South Australia had to live and breathe basketball.

“We’ve spent over an hour every day watching film, rewinding, pausing and showing guys reads and actions,” Renshaw said.

MEN’S BRONZE MEDAL

Victoria produced one of the most impressive defensive displays of the tournament, choking out Queensland in a stunning second half to claim third place.

The Vics rode a stunning 59-21 second half to claim a 97-62 win.

One of the nicest surprises of the tournament has been the development of Austin Bradtke’s outside shot.

The son of Boomers legend Mark Bradtke and former Aussie tennis star Nicole Bradtke was always going to have some serious sporting chops. And he showed it at the tournament, particularly in Victoria’s two finals.

Ripped off 24 points and 13 rebounds in the overtime semi final loss to WA and backed that up with 18 points, 3 steals and 3 blocks in the win over Queensland - most of those coming when the going was tougher in the first half.

He and fellow big fella Austin Rapp make sweet music on the floor when both get rolling.

Queensland v WA (U20W Bronze)

WOMEN’S BRONZE MEDAL

Queesland have finished third on the back of a big performance from Lil Dart.

A 16-5 third-quarter blitz helped Queensland flip a seven-point halftime deficit into a four-point lead at the last break. In a frantic last period, WA rested back the lead early, but Queensland had the poise to weather the storm in a 60-52 rose gold win.

She’s Lil by name, but not by game - it’s huge. The Queensland gun carried her team in the first half with more than half its score - 17 points on 7-9 shooting to go with 6 rebounds a couple of assists and a block for good measure.

She’s on the radar of the U19 Aussie Gems for good reason, rocking the pink Bron 20s on her way to one of the performances of the tournament - 29 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks.

Jess Petrie was later named the tournament’s best defensive player.

WANT TO RELIVE ANY OF THE ACTION? CHECK OUT THE LINKS BELOW TO RE-LIVE EACH DAY’S PLAY

REPLAYS

SHOW COURT

Victoria v NSW (IB Women Gold)

Queensland Maroon v Victoria Navy (IB-Women PO 5)

Victoria v South Australia (IB-Women SF)

COURT 1

Tasmania v NSW (IB Men Bronze)

COURT 3

Queensland Maroon v Queensland White (IB Women PO 6/7)

South Australia v ACT (IB-Women Bronze)

Victoria Navy v SA Blue (U20W PO 8/9)

ACT v NSW (IB-Women SF)

Originally published as Watch the grand finals from the Basketball Australia Under-20 and Ivor Burge National Championships (U20's & Ivor Burge National Championships)