U18 Nationals: Are WA Metro the title favourites?

• Kale Matthews-Hampton and Ethan Macdermot combined for 69 points to lead SA Country
• WA Metro and NSW Metro are the only undefeated teams remaining
• Hosts Queensland South returned to the winner's list after beating Tasmania

Western Australia Metro have quickly become the favourites to take away the gold medal at the 2025 Footlocker Under-18 Men's National Basketball Championships after taking down Victoria Metro 79-67 at the South Pine Sports Complex.

The upset victory all-but seals top spot in Pool A for WA Metro, who are undefeated after four games, and leaves Vic Metro needing a win against hosts Queensland South to seal a top two finish in the group.

Western Australia Metro opened strongly but found themselves trailing 19-17 after the first quarter as Victoria Metro established an early edge. The second quarter saw a complete momentum shift, with WA Metro exploding for 26 points while limiting Victoria to just 16, taking a commanding 43-35 lead into halftime.

WA Metro continued their dominance in the third quarter, outscoring Victoria 18-16 to extend their advantage to 61-51 with their balanced attack and superior shooting efficiency proving too much for Victoria to handle. In the final period, WA Metro maintained their intensity, matching Victoria's 16 points to secure the comfortable 79-67 victory.

The game's key turning point came in the second quarter when WA Metro went on an eight-point run, establishing control they would never relinquish. Marley Sam was central to this surge, finishing with seven points, eight rebounds, and a game-high nine assists. His court vision and playmaking created numerous scoring opportunities for teammates throughout the contest.

Andreas Grubisa's leadership was evident as the team captain contributed an efficient 16 points on 5-from-11 shooting, including 3-from-7 from beyond the arc. Lachlan Burnett provided valuable production off the bench with 14 points, six rebounds, and one steal, while Alexander Edwards added 13 points and seven rebounds to the winning effort.

WA Metro's shooting efficiency told the story of the game. They shot 42 percent from the field (30-from-70) compared to Victoria's 32 percent (26-from-81). Even more significantly, WA Metro connected on nine three-pointers, while Victoria managed just one from 21 attempts, shooting just 4% from beyond the arc. This 24-point differential from three-point range proved decisive.

The victors also demonstrated superior ball movement, recording 20 assists to Victoria's 13, creating better scoring opportunities throughout the game. WA Metro's bench provided a substantial boost, contributing 38 points compared to Victoria's 22, highlighting their superior depth.

POOL A RESULTS

SA Country def NSW Country 95-91

Kale Matthews-Hampton and Ethan Macdermot combined for 69 points to lead SA Country to a nail-biting four-point win over New South Wales Country to tip-off the fourth day of action.

Matthews-Hampton was dominant with 35 points while Macdermot had 34 as SA Country fought off a tough NSW Country side.

Aki Langford led the way for NSW Country with 28 points and nine rebounds.

QLD South def Tasmania 97-78

Queensland South scored 70 points in the paint to return to the winner's circle in a dominant performance against Tasmania, who have proved a tough opponent for other teams throughout the week.

A 31-18 second quarter was instrumental in the hosts' victory with Isaiah Jorgenson leading the way with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Mason Ling had 23 points, six rebounds and six assists for Tasmania.

POOL B RESULTS

NSW Metro def SA Metro 82-68

New South Wales Metro have continued with a 14-point victory over SA Metro, using a 23-14 third quarter to record their fourth consecutive win.

Four players scored in double figures for NSW Metro with Antonio Browne leading the way with 17 points off the bench.

Isaac Riddle had 15 points and 10 rebounds for SA Metro.

Vic Country def NT 89-35

Victoria Country's suffocating defence proved too much for Northern Territory as the Vics kept their opponents to just 35 points in their 54-point win.

The victors shared the scoring and the minutes but Samuel Haslett led the way with 16 points for Victoria Country.

Mitchell Hardy had 10 points for NT.

QLD North def WA Country 82-73

Taj Goodwin recorded a giant double-double to help Queensland North return to the winner's list following a nine-point win over WA Country.

Goodwin had 19 points and 13 rebounds as the Queenslanders fought off several runs from their opponents from the west. Regan Blachford also had 20 points for Queensland North.

Lowell Jude Christopher was dominant for WA Country with 26 points and 14 rebounds while Billy Mcrae had 22 points and six rebounds.

NSW Metro def ACT 95-64

Five players scored in double figures as NSW Metro kept their undefeated run intact, beating ACT by 31 points to end day four.

Antonio Browne had 21 points off the bench while Bailey Hanson and Austin Prosser both had 16 points.

Austin Fage finished with 16 points and seven rebounds for ACT.

OUR U18 MEN'S NATIONALS COVERAGE

• Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 Daily Digests
• Michael Houben's key takeaways from day one and day two
• Every player at the U18 Men's National Championships
• A complete guide to the U18 Men's National Championships