The 2016 Under 18 Australian Junior Championships (“AJCs”) and Kevin Coombs Cup took place in Adelaide between 16 – 23 April. Basketball ACT (“BACT”) was represented by both a Men’s and a Women’s side in the Under 18s tournament.

The Under 18 ACT Women had one of their best performances at the AJCs level in recent times, finishing 7th overall at the end of the tournament. The 7th overall finish (out of 13 teams) was the third best placing that the Under 18 Women’s program has ever achieved.

Head Coach Phil Brown was proud of his team, and said that the side was “…competitive against all the teams we played and earned a lot of respect from our opponents throughout the tournament.”

“Overcoming a first round loss to Queensland North after leading for eighty percent of the game and then coming back to get the win against South Australia Metro on Day 2 was huge for us. Following that up with a hard fought win over a strong Western Australia Metro team set our tournament up.”

“It was unfortunate that two of our key players, Issie Bourne and Tarushi Fernando, got ill mid-week and missed games and were clearly negatively affected for the remainder of the tournament.”

“Despite this adversity, the team competed strongly and after a heart-breaking three point loss versus Tasmania to advance to the 5th place playoff, the team rebounded to win the 7th place playoff (from 13 teams participating) against a strong South Australia Country team, and record the best placing by an ACT Under 18 Women’s team for many years.”

On the Under 18 ACT Men’s performance, who finished 9th overall, Head Coach Debbie Cook said… “I am extremely proud of how the boys competed and conducted themselves through out the week. We were competitive against all the teams we played and earned a lot of respect from our opponents and several comments were made to me by coaches on how well our boys played.”

“We got off to a slow start in the first two games and then played some of our best basketball over the next four games. We had two heart-breaking losses to Queensland North by 1 point and South Australia Country by 2 points, after leading for 36 minutes against Queensland North, and 38 minutes against South Australia Country.”

“The boys bounced back to finish with two strong wins against Tasmania and Victoria Country who had previously beaten us in the round games.”

“It was unfortunate that two of our key players, James Martin and Brody Doran, both missed key games for us during the week; James with an infected lip and Brody with a shoulder injury. This clearly had an impact over the week, and to the boys and the rest of the teams credit, we rallied to still play some excellent basketball.”

“We had solid contributions from all players throughout the tournament, but special mention goes to Will Mayfield who won the teams ‘Power Play’ award. Will was relentless on the boards for the team, and always played with great energy and desire to win. Also, James Martin proved to be invaluable in the point guard spot and was well supported by Glenn Morison and Brody Doran, who also contributed as the teams leadership group.”

“A special mention to Team Manager Rob McIntosh and Assistant Coach Dan Jackson for their never-ending commitment to the program and the boys. It is a long week and it is always a benefit to have such quality people involved. Finally, a big thank you to the many parents who traveled to Adelaide. They were a great support to the boys at each game.”

Another performance worth noting was that of the ACT’s Michelle Cosier, who was selected to referee the Women’s Bronze Medal Game in the first ever AJCs she had participated in as a referee. This is a great reflection of the work and dedication Michelle has put in since switching her focus from playing to refereeing in recent times.

On the switch of focus, Michelle said “…I’ve got the passion and I understand the game. It’s a lot harder than everyone thinks, as soon as you put that whistle in your mouth it’s totally different. Each game has its own challenge, you can’t not focus.”

Congratulations also goes to ACT referee Micayla Helson, who also officiated at the tournament.

Long-term ACT scoretable stalwart Cathy Morison also achieved a significant honour in Adelaide. Cathy was selected to participate on the scorebench for the Men’s Gold Medal Game, one of the highest achievements for scoretable personnel at the Championships, and a fitting recognition of her outstanding efforts as a scoretable volunteer.

BACT would like to congratulate the Under 18 ACT programs, Michelle, Micayla, Cathy and all others involved on their efforts and achievements at the 2016 Under 18 AJCs.

For a recap of the final day and the Gold Medal Games, please click here.

BACT provided daily recaps of the Under 18 AJCs on the BACT Facebook page, and you can view the recaps below.


Day 1

Day 1 of the 2016 Under 18 AJCs saw our ACT Under 18 Women go up against the Queensland North squad in their first game of the tournament.

The ACT jumped out to an early lead at the end of the 1st quarter, leading 20-10, before a tight 2nd quarter saw the gap reduced to 9 at the half.

A slow 3rd quarter saw QLDN take the lead, 54-53, heading in to the 4th, with late free throws sealing the win for Queensland.

The Bourne sisters led from the front for the ACT, with Isabelle posting a big double-double (20 points, 14 rebounds, 2 steals), and Callie nearing a triple double (17 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds). Emma Rowcliffe also chipped in for the ACT (17 points, 7 rebounds), whilst Rashada Kaigey from QLDN led all scorers with 28 points.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/6bRNdS

The ACT Under 18 Men faced-off against the NSW Country Men in their first game, going down 81-55.

The ACT kept up with NSWC early, down by just 3 at the half (38-35). NSWC came out strong in the 3rd however, and increased their lead to 15 heading in to the final break. A late comeback by the ACT was not to be, with the Territory posting only 5 points in the final period, and NSWC ran away with the game.

Broderick Doran topped the scoring list for the game, posting 20 points for the ACT, while Will Cooper chipped in off the bench with an all-around performance (11 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals). A balanced offensive effort by NSWC was on display, with 5 players reaching double figures.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/xpkWl6


Day 2

The ACT Under 18 Men went down 73-50 to Victory Country on Day 2 of the Under 18 AJCs.

A slow first half saw the ACT down big before the half-time break (36-14), and despite winning the 3rd quarter (21-15) the hole proved to be too deep for the ACT to dig their way out of.

Broderick Doran again had a big game for the ACT (20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals), while Nick Grantham was strong off the bench for VICC (16 points, 9 rebounds).

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/8rgh2x

Day 2 saw the ACT Women get their first win of the tournament, defeating South Australia Metro 71-68.

After going back-and-forth all game, the girls from the Territory found themselves down 2 heading into the final quarter. Despite missing some late free throws that would have put the game out of reach, the ACT side rallied throughout the 4th to take the lead with and hold on for the win.

Tarushi Fernando played well for the ACT (15 points, 4 rebounds), whilst Isabelle Bourne continued her great work with another double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds). Callie Bourne again neared a triple-double, posting 15 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Samantha Simons had 27 points and 9 rebounds for SAM.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/QOlmR8


Day 3

Day 3 action at the 2016 Under 18 AJCs saw our ACT Men go down in a nail-biter against Queensland North.

Minus leading scorer Broderick Doran, the ACT led at every break, but a 4th quarter explosion by QLDN saw them win the final quarter 26-13, and subsequently take the lead and the game 61-60.

QLDN missed four free throws in the final 20 seconds, leaving the door open for a heroic finish by the ACT, but the boys from the Territory were unable to capitalise on the inability of QLDN to ice the game.

James Martin continued his good form, dropping 20 points for the ACT, while teammate Will Cooper chipped in 16 points with 9 rebounds. Sam Froling topped the scorer’s column for QLD, putting up 15 points with 12 rebounds and 5 blocks.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/hFO2yc

Another day saw another win for the ACT Women’s side, who recovered from a slow start to close out the game strong and get a 67-56 win over WA Metro.

The Bourne sisters continued their stellar play, proving that they may be the most potent 1-2 punch at the tournament. Isabelle had a monster outing, putting up 14 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 blocks, while older sister Callie neared a triple-double yet again with 12 points 9 rebounds and 8 assists.

Rosemary Schweizer was also huge for the ACT, leading all scorers with 21 points to go with 11 rebounds. Maddison Hooper led WAM with 18 points.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/Luzg38


Day 4

Day 4 of the 2016 Under 18 AJCs saw the ACT Women go down to Victoria Country 58-31 in just their second loss of the tournament.

Sans Isabelle Bourne, the ACT side struggled to score through the final three quarters, shooting just 23% from the floor for the game.

In limited minutes, tournament assists leader Callie Bourne led the ACT with 7 points and 7 rebounds, while Eve Braslis (VICC) led all scorers with 15 points.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/5o3sBj

The ACT Men were involved in yet another close game, and again fell just short, losing to SA Country 63-60.

The ACT led 51-43 at the end of the 3rd quarter, but were unable to close out the game in the 4th, being outscored 20-9 by SAC in the final period.

A pair of missed free throws that would have tied the game with 14 seconds left proved costly for the ACT. SAC then split a pair of free throws, missing the first then making the second and widening the gap to 3 points with 13 seconds left on the clock.

The ACT got a three-point attempt off with 6 seconds left, which would have tied the game, but it unfortunately missed the target.

Glenn Morison was big for the ACT, dropping an efficient 16 points on 8/13 shooting to go with 7 rebounds, while Broderick Doran chipped in 8 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. SAC had four players reach double figures in the scoring column.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/mpm5fL


Day 5

Day 5 saw the final round of pool games at the 2016 Under 18 AJCs in Adelaide.

The ACT Men took on WA Metro, losing 78-61 at the final buzzer.

Both Will Mayfield (13 points, 8 rebounds) and Glenn Morison (11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) played well for the ACT, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the WAM side that dominated on the glass, pulling in 23 offensive rebounds for 19 second chance points.

Kyle Bowen was the key man for WAM, dropping 22 points on 9/12 shooting to go with 10 rebounds (6 offensive).

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/hp5T73

The ACT Men finished 6th in Pool A (0W-5L), and take on Tasmania (5th in Pool B with 2W-4L) in their Quarter Final crossover.

The ACT Women’s side competed against the talented NSW Country squad in their final pool game of the tournament, in what ended as a low scoring affair.

The ACT went down 57-32 to NSWC in the end, with both sides struggling to make shots. NSWC shot just 33% from the field, while the ACT only converted on 29% of their attempts.

Rosie Schweizer led the ACT with 8 points and 6 rebounds, while Jasmine Simmons continued her stellar play for NSWC with 11 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.

This loss meant the ACT finished equal 3rd (4th on percentages) in their pool with 2W-3L. They take on Queensland South (2nd in Pool B with 5W-1L) today at 1:30pm in their Quarter Final crossover, and are still in contention for a medal.


Day 6

Day 6 of the 2016 Under 18 AJCs saw the Quarter Finals take place, with the ACT Women’s side doing battle against Queensland South.

It was yet another poor shooting performance for the ACT side, making only 28% of their shots from the field for the game. Poor shooting combined with a slow start, down 20-4 at the end of the 1st quarter, was too much to overcome for the ACT, eventually going down 69-44 to QLDS.

Another big influence on the outcome of the game was the points in the paints differential. QLDS amassed 42 points in the paint, while the ACT only managed 28.

Zoe Ramshaw (11 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks) was solid for the ACT off the bench, while Jayden Fuiava led QLDS with 18 points and 8 rebounds.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/G0oEiV

The ACT Men fared better than the Women in their Quarter Final match up, defeating Tasmania 56-44 for their first win of the tournament.

In a tight back and forth game, the boys from the Territory managed to close out the game in the 4th quarter and hang-on for the win.

Glenn Morison had his best game of the week so far for the ACT, dropping an efficient 20 points, with 13 rebounds and 4 blocks. Broderick Doran also played a key for the ACT, showing his versatility and stuffing the stat sheet with 11 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.

Troy Schaeche top scored for Tasmania with 10 points.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/R2MJQl


Day 7

Day 7 of the 2016 Under 18 AJCs saw the ACT squads do battle in the Semi-Finals.

The ACT Men notched another win in their last game of the tournament, defeating Victoria Country 59-49 behind a balanced offensive attack, with 4 ACT players scoring in double digits.

Glenn Morison (13 points, 19 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals) and Will Mayfield (14 points, 19 rebounds) dominated the glass for the ACT, outrebounding the entire VICC side 38-34 by themselves.

Lukas Essenwanger top scored for VICC with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 6 steals off the bench.

The ACT Men finished 9th overall for the tournament.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/wMk1mi

The ACT Women went down 54-51 to Tasmania in a tight Semi-Final matchup.

Rosie Schweizer continued her solid run of form at the Championships for the ACT, putting up 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Isabelle Bourne chipped in with 8 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Rebecca Abel led the Tasmanian side, dropping 21 points with 4 rebounds and 3 assists.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/engf5F


Day 8

The 8th and final day (23 April) of the 2016 Under 18 AJCs saw only the ACT Women in action, taking on SA Country in the 7th place playoff.

It was a tight game, with the ACT starting slowly before rallying in the second quarter to trail by just 5 points, down 35-30 at the half.

The ACT continued to rally in the second half, taking the lead with 4:49 to play. With the ACT up 2 with 17 seconds to play, SAC found themselves with an opportunity to take or tie the game.

Lauren Ross got a 3-point attempt off with 4 seconds on the clock, which missed the target, and Isabelle Bourne reeled in the rebound to secure the game, with the ACT defeating SAC 60-58 and finishing 7th overall.

Four ACT players scored in double figures, with Isabelle Bourne top scoring with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Rosie Schweizer was again strong, posting 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks.

Abigayle Mader top scored for SAC with 14 points.

LiveStats: http://goo.gl/lyaFQc

Congratulations to the ACT Under 18 Women on their 7th overall placing, which is one the programs best results in recent times!