There is plenty to play for as we enter for the final day of the Foot Locker U20 & IB National Championships.
U20 Men
Victoria Navy v Queensland Gold Medal Match
Date: 2/02/2025
Time: 2:30 PM AEST
Venue: Selkirk Stadium
The stage is set for an epic showdown as Victoria Navy and Queensland will battle for the U20 Men’s Gold. Here’s everything you need to know before tip-off.
Victoria Navy Review
Victoria Navy has been the dominant team throughout the tournament, cruising through the group stage with a perfect 4-0 record. They have a well-balanced squad with a number of offensive threats:
- Joel Robinson - 18.6 points per game (ppg)
- Austin Foxwell - 17.4 ppg
- Ryder Cheesman 16.8 ppg
In the semi-final, Victoria Navy proved their dominance, defeating South Australia 89-76 to secure their place in the championship game.
Queensland Review
Queensland’s journey has had its ups and downs, finishing the group stage at 2-2 and narrowly advancing to the finals. However, they have peaked at the right time, picking up a win over Western Australia in the quarter-final and getting revenge from last year's gold medal loss against Victoria to defeat them by 7 points in the semi-final.
Their success has been driven by standout performances from their dynamic duo:
- Roman Siulepa - Tournament leader in points and rebounds, averaging 28.17 points and 11.67 rebounds whilst also racking up 5.3 assists.
- Indy Cotton is an ever-reliable performer, averaging 20 points and 5 rebounds.
U20 Women
Queensland v New South Wales Gold Medal Match
Date: 2/02/2025
Time: 12:30 PM AEST
Venue: Selkirk Stadium
The last time these two teams met proved one of the closer battles that Queensland have had, yet Queensland held on to a seven-point victory, 86-79.
Queensland Review
Queensland have been the team to beat all tournament. They were dominant throughout the group stage with a 3-0 record. They continued to roll on with their momentum with a comprehensive win in the semi-final over South Australia as they won 73-53.
Queensland has plenty of firepower on the offensive end with the second leading scorer, Teyahna Bond with an average of 16.6 ppg and Prasayus Notoa with a handy average of 14 ppg and a tournament leading 12.5 rebounds per game.
New South Wales Review
New South Wales have had an impressive tournament, losing just one game which was against Queensland. Since then, they have bounced back well and picked up plenty of momentum following a quarter-final win over Western Australia, 75-67 and then holding on in a nail-biter against Victoria to win by two points 55-53.
New South Wales has a deep roster with plenty of contributors, led by Ruby Perkins with an average of 13.67 ppg. Jade Crook has proven her value to the team with an average of 8.67 rebounds per game.
Ivor Burge Men
South Australia v Victoria Gold Medal Match
Date: 2/02/2025
Time: 10:30 AM AEST
Venue: Selkirk Stadium
Both Victoria and South Australia were undefeated through the pool games, setting up a thrilling showdown for gold.
South Australia Review
South Australia have had a phenomenal tournament thus far, highlighted by their key player Keenan Georg-Dent with an average of 25.5 points and a tournament leading 9.25 assists per game. South Australia will rely on Keenan in the final to pull them through with a gold medal in hand.
Victoria Review
Victoria has a team full of offensive stars, with four players in the top 10 points per game. Their offensive threat will be the key for them to walk away from Ballarat with the gold.
Leading scorers:
- Jack Inella 25.33 ppg
- Jake De La Motte 22.25 ppg
- Dylan Cheyne 19.75 ppg
- Matthew Farrar 18.67 ppg
Ivor Burge Women
Victoria v Australian Capital Territory
Date: 2/02/2025
Time: 8:30 AM AEST
Venue: Selkirk Stadium
Both Victoria and ACT have fought their way to the gold medal match, Victoria emerged as the team to beat with comprehensive displays whilst ACT proved their resilience and tenacity with a semi-final comeback to book their place in the final.
Victoria Review
Victoria has been the standout team, being undefeated in the round games (5-0) and continuing their dominance through the finals. Their display in the semi-final against South Australia was comprehensive, winning 87-24 which proved they are the favourites heading into the gold medal decider.
Victoria have a well-rounded offense with a damaging bench rotation which has been a major asset for them this tournament. However, leading the team is Montana Haag with 20.83 points per game and 5 assists per game.
ACT Review
Act finished the group stage with a 3-2 record but showed determination in the semi-final, mounting a comeback to earn their spot in the gold medal match.
ACT has a plethora of offensive options to rely on with Dominic Malouf leading the charge with 22 points per game, accompanied by Jasmin Funnell’s reliable 19.83 points per game and 22 rebounds per game and Madilyn Janssen’s 18.6 points per game.
