Johnston magic in Spiders 8-point win against Rams

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Australian players delivered several standout individual performances across NCAA action on January 5, 2026 (AEDT) with production clearly outpacing season norms for a handful of names.

‍Jack Whitbourn anchored the paint with a double-double, while Will Johnston produced across all three levels with points, rebounds and assists. Tuburu Naivalurua combined volume and efficiency in a high-scoring outing, and Harry Wessels made a decisive impact in limited minutes. On the perimeter, Joel Foxwell carried a heavy workload for Portland, and Keira Hudson provided a timely scoring lift.

🇦🇺 UConn Huskies 73, Marquette Golden Eagles 57 (Final)

Freshman guard Jacob Furphy, from Smithton, TAS, played three minutes in UConn’s win over Marquette and did not score, recording no rebounds or assists.

Jacob Furphy — Freshman Guard, UConn Huskies

• Minutes: 3 │ Points: 0 (Season: 1.2) │ Rebounds: 0 (Season: 0.0) │ Assists: 0 (Season: 0.0) │ Steals: 0 │ Blocks: 0 │ Turnovers: 0 │ FG: 0–2 (0.0%) │ 3PT: 0–1 (0.0%) │ FT: 0–0 │ PF: 0

🇦🇺 Fordham Rams 75, Richmond Spiders 83 (Final)

Sophomore centre Jack Whitbourn, from Melbourne, VIC, played 29 minutes in Fordham’s loss to Richmond, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds. His scoring (12) was above his season average (7.0 ppg), while his rebounding (11) exceeded his season mark (8.5 rpg).

Jack Whitbourn — Sophomore Center, Fordham Rams

• Minutes: 29 │ Points: 12 (Season: 7.0) │ Rebounds: 11 (Season: 8.5) │ Assists: 1 (Season: 1.5) │ Steals: 1 │ Blocks: 0 │ Turnovers: 4 │ FG: 5–6 (83.3%) │ 3PT: 0–0 │ FT: 2–2 (100.0%) │ PF: 1

🇦🇺 Northern Kentucky Norse 94, Youngstown State Penguins 79 (Final)

Freshman guard Ethan Elliott, from Perth, WA, played 30 minutes in Northern Kentucky’s win over Youngstown State, finishing with three points, two rebounds and three assists. His scoring (3) was below his season average (4.9 ppg), while his assist total (3) was slightly under his season mark (4.4 apg).

Ethan Elliott — Freshman Guard, Northern Kentucky Norse

• Minutes: 30 │ Points: 3 (Season: 4.9) │ Rebounds: 2 (Season: 1.9) │ Assists: 3 (Season: 4.4) │ Steals: 1 │ Blocks: 0 │ Turnovers: 0 │ FG: 1–3 (33.3%) │ 3PT: 0–0 │ FT: 1–2 (50.0%) │ PF: 3

🇦🇺 Portland Pilots 68, San Francisco Dons 73 (Final)

Freshman guard Joel Foxwell, from Melbourne, VIC, played all 40 minutes in Portland’s road loss at San Francisco, finishing with 20 points, two rebounds and six assists. His scoring (20) was above his season average (13.3 ppg), while his assist total (6) was slightly below his season mark (7.4 apg). Sophomore forward James O’Donnell, from Sydney, NSW, played 13 minutes, scoring one point with two rebounds and one assist, below his season averages.

Joel Foxwell — Freshman Guard, Portland Pilots

• Minutes: 40 │ Points: 20 (Season: 13.3) │ Rebounds: 2 (Season: 4.3) │ Assists: 6 (Season: 7.4) │ Steals: 0 │ Blocks: 0 │ Turnovers: 2 │ FG: 7–13 (53.8%) │ 3PT: 1–6 (16.7%) │ FT: 5–7 (71.4%) │ PF: 1

James O’Donnell — Sophomore Forward, Portland Pilots

• Minutes: 13 │ Points: 1 (Season: 9.9) │ Rebounds: 2 (Season: 4.9) │ Assists: 1 (Season: 0.8) │ Steals: 0 │ Blocks: 0 │ Turnovers: 4 │ FG: 0–1 (0.0%) │ 3PT: 0–0 │ FT: 1–2 (50.0%) │ PF: 3

🇦🇺 Richmond Spiders 83, Fordham Rams 75 (Final)

Senior guard Will Johnston, from Sydney, NSW, played 29 minutes in Richmond’s road win at Fordham, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. His scoring (20) was above his season average (8.9 ppg), while both his rebounding (6) and assists (6) exceeded his season marks (2.1 rpg, 2.2 apg).

Will Johnston — Senior Guard, Richmond Spiders

• Minutes: 29 │ Points: 20 (Season: 8.9) │ Rebounds: 6 (Season: 2.1) │ Assists: 6 (Season: 2.2) │ Steals: 1 │ Blocks: 0 │ Turnovers: 0 │ FG: 6–10 (60.0%) │ 3PT: 2–3 (66.7%) │ FT: 6–7 (85.7%) │ PF: 0

🇦🇺 Saint Mary’s Gaels 93, Seattle Redhawks 76 (Final)

Senior center Harry Wessels, from Boddington, WA, played 21 minutes in Saint Mary’s win over Seattle, finishing with 15 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and one assist. His scoring (15) was above his season average (4.7 ppg), while his rebounding (7) exceeded his season mark (4.5 rpg). Sophomore guard Joshua Dent, from Wollongong, NSW, played all 40 minutes, recording seven points and nine assists; his assist total (9) was above his season average (4.8 apg). Freshman guard Rory Hawke, from Townsville, QLD, saw two minutes and did not record a stat.

Harry Wessels — Senior Center, Saint Mary's Gaels

• Minutes: 21 │ Points: 15 (Season: 4.7) │ Rebounds: 7 (Season: 4.5) │ Assists: 1 (Season: 0.3) │ Steals: 1 │ Blocks: 2 │ Turnovers: 2 │ FG: 6–10 (60.0%) │ 3PT: 0–0 │ FT: 3–3 (100.0%) │ PF: 1

Joshua Dent — Sophomore Guard, Saint Mary’s Gaels

• Minutes: 40 │ Points: 7 (Season: 12.7) │ Rebounds: 1 (Season: 2.8) │ Assists: 9 (Season: 4.8) │ Steals: 1 │ Blocks: 0 │ Turnovers: 2 │ FG: 3–7 (42.9%) │ 3PT: 1–3 (33.3%) │ FT: 0–0 │ PF: 0

Rory Hawke — Freshman Guard, Saint Mary’s Gaels

• Minutes: 2 │ Points: 0 (Season: 3.3) │ Rebounds: 0 (Season: 1.3) │ Assists: 0 (Season: 0.3) │ Steals: 0 │ Blocks: 0 │ Turnovers: 0 │ FG: 0–0 │ 3PT: 0–0 │ FT: 0–0 │ PF: 0

🇦🇺 Oakland Golden Grizzlies 96, Robert Morris Colonials 73 (Final)

Senior forward Tuburu Naivalurua, from Sydney, NSW, played 27 minutes in Oakland’s win over Robert Morris, finishing with 21 points, six rebounds and one block. His scoring (21) was above his season average (13.6 ppg), while his rebounding (6) edged his season mark (5.5 rpg).

Tuburu Naivalurua — Senior Forward, Oakland Golden Grizzlies

• Minutes: 27 │ Points: 21 (Season: 13.6) │ Rebounds: 6 (Season: 5.5) │ Assists: 1 (Season: 1.9) │ Steals: 0 │ Blocks: 1 │ Turnovers: 0 │ FG: 9–11 (81.8%) │ 3PT: 0–1 (0.0%) │ FT: 3–4 (75.0%) │ PF: 3