There were medals, celebrations and heartbreak on the final day in Moreton Bay, as the 2026 Under-18 and National Junior Wheelchair Championships came to a close.
Victoria Metro women have gone back-to-back to take home gold, holding off Queensland South 69-58.
Queensland South stayed within striking distance for much of the afternoon, trailing by just three points at half-time, but Vic Metro found another gear late to pull away and lock in the title.
Captain Mia Ryan led from the front with a huge 27 points, 13 rebounds and five steals, while Victoria Leuluai provided an important spark off the bench with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
For Queensland South, Olivia Olechnowicz did everything she could to keep her side in the contest, finishing with 26 points, seven rebounds and three assists in a tireless 40-minute performance.
Queensland North also finished its week on the podium, defeating NSW Metro 68-60 to claim bronze.
Queensland North led for most of the afternoon and came up with the big plays late to hold off a determined NSW side. Isabella Smith starred with 21 points, while Lily Mapp produced a huge double-double of 20 points and 16 rebounds.
Victoria Metro men capped off the afternoon by defeating NSW Metro 101-78 in a convincing gold medal performance.
After leading by just two points at quarter-time, Victoria Metro blew the game open with a huge 33-point second quarter and never looked back, pushing the margin beyond 20 in the second half.
The reigning champions from Victoria Country also claimed bronze in the Under-18 Men’s competition, defeating Queensland South 94-76.
Victoria Country came out firing with 28 points in the opening quarter and never looked back, with Liam Byrne leading the way with a dominant double-double of 24 points, 17 rebounds and four assists. Will Hamilton added 18 points and seven boards, while Ryan Dilges provided a spark with 15 points, including nine points from beyond the arc.
For Queensland South, Isaac Jorgenson battled hard with 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Jack Kaesler added 12 points and five assists.
Western Australia capped off a dominant week by defeating Victoria 58-34 to claim gold in the National Junior Wheelchair Championships.
The Black Ducks led at every change before blowing the game open with a huge 23-point third quarter to seal the title. Cohen Spillane starred with 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, while Jett Mouritz added 15 points and five assists. Jackson Gray battled hard for Victoria with 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Earlier in the day, New South Wales claimed bronze with a 54-35 win over Queensland. The Blues set the tone from the opening tip, holding Queensland to just four first-quarter points before taking a 29-12 lead into half-time.
Ethan Hallak starred with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Rafferty Stevens was outstanding with 20 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in nearly 35 minutes on court as the pair combined for 46 of NSW’s 54 points.
The Foot Locker Defensive Player of the Tournament recognised three players who made life difficult for their opponents all week long.
U18 Men: Kobi Teasdale (QLD)
U18 Women: Daisy Hocking (SA Country)
NJWC: Zac Uhr (QLD)
For stats, results and more, head to BA Competitions.
BROADCAST
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The Foot Locker U18 National Championships is an elite junior event delivered by Basketball Australia and is supported by the City of Moreton Bay and the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland. The event is made possible thanks to Foot Locker and partners iAthletic, Spalding, Kommunity TV and Sportslink Travel.
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