Five sold out nights of the NBL Blitz at the AIS Arena. Three big days of NBL1 National Finals in Tuggeranong, capped off with the Canberra Gunners claiming a maiden National Championship.

It really was a massive week for the game in the ACT.

The NBL left town confident their Canberra expansion ambitions will be well supported, after the pre-season Blitz tournament proved to be a roaring success.

But while the New Zealand Breakers took home the NBL Blitz spoils, the celebrations were big after the Canberra Gunners have claimed their maiden NBL1 National Championship, to go with their NBL1 East title from a fortnight ago.

The Gunners became the first NBL1 East team to claim a National title, overcoming a string of more fancied opponents in the process, and firmly putting the Canberra Basketball program on the map as one of the best in Australia.

Having beaten the strength of NBL1 South Champions, Sandringham, and NBL1 North winners, Southern Districts, the Gunners were crowned best in the land courtesy of their 86-67 win over NBL1 West Champions, Geraldton, in front a loud, parochial sell-out crowd at the Southern Cross Stadium on Sunday.

Will Mayfield was named National Finals MVP with 21 points and 14 rebounds in the Final, while he and Gunners co-captain Glenn Morison were also named in the National Finals All Star Five, repeating their being named in the NBL1 East All Star Five earlier this month.

It’s been a big month for coach Pete Herek and the boys, and congratulations to every one of them!

A big week for our officials, too

BACT had a whole herd of Technical Officials in action across the week, and we offer our congratulations to all involved for their selection and recognition:

Scorers: Mel Forey, Glenn Schultz, Carolyn Ackland, Annette Anderson, Esther Doherty, Cheryl Olley, Paul Vels, Liam Krogh-Neumann, Sharna Edwards.

Stats: Allison Rankin (NBL1 Men’s Final), Erica Cooper (NBL1 Men’s Final), Caitlin Preston (NBL1 Women’s Final), Mark Harris, Michael Hanley, Suzanne Helson, Olivia Young.

Congratulations also to local referees selected as Reserve Referees for the NBL1 National Finals: Ryan Blundell, Ryan Buchaniec, Mitchell Hudson, Ashton Tulk.

Voice of the Gunners: the broadcast of the Gunnersā€™ National Championship had a wonderful local flavour to it, as well, with Davey J Lane selected from the team of commentators from around the country to lead the NBL1 Menā€™s National Final broadcast.

Finally, it’s a big thanks to the basketball community of Canberra.

The NBL wanted the ACT to prove the appetite for an NBL team was there, and more than 18,000 people at the Blitz and more than 2,000 at the National Finals certainly did that!