Australia sweeps inaugural FIBA Oceania 3x3 tournament
Australia sweeps inaugural FIBA Oceania 3x3 tournament
Both the Australian men's and women's squads have come away as gold medalists at the inaugural FIBA Oceania 3x3 tournament, held at the Gold Coast this past week.
The Australian men's squad, consisting of Centre of Excellence athletes Jack White, Jayden Hodgson, Andrew Ferguson and Mate Colina, defeated New Zealand 19-18 in the grand final of the event.
The men's team faced some adversity en route to the championship game, only winning their semifinal fixture against Guam by one point, thanks to some late-game heroics from Jack White.
White, who was a key member of this year's Emus squad, also took part in the slam dunk competition, winning the event with an impressive between-the-legs slam.
The Australian women's squad also had a great tournament, with the team of Anneli Maley, Elizabeth Tonks, Chantel Horvat and Alex Sharp defeating a tough Kiwi team to come away with the gold medal.
The women's grand final was close throughout, with Chantel Horvat nailing a step-back jump shot as time expired, propelling the Australian women to a 14-13 victory.
This tournament caps off an impressive few months for Australian basketball, defeating New Zealand in a number of events - with Australia's Boomers, Opals, Goannas and Sapphires looking impressive ahead of World Championship play next year.