Blues' Browne sets up golden clash with Vic Metro

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Victoria Metro and New South Wales Metro will meet in today's gold medal game after contrasting semi-final wins, while Victoria Country and Queensland South battle for bronze.

Victoria Metro advanced with an 85–71 win against Queensland South, dominating the glass (56–35) and generating 24 second-chance points. Liam Keogh (24 points, 11 rebounds) and Yahya Basaran (15 points, 15 rebounds) controlled the interior, while Chandler Siegle added eight assists. Queensland South stayed close early behind Jordan Kaesler’s 29 points but couldn’t match Metro’s physicality.

NSW Metro booked their place with an 87–75 win against Victoria Country, overturning an early deficit with a strong middle-quarter surge. Antonio Browne (20 points) and Emin Joldic (16 points, nine rebounds) led a balanced attack, while Jasper Rock added eight assists.

Sunday, April 19, 2026 – Under-18 Men’s Finals Day

12PM – 🥉 Bronze Medal Game: Victoria Country vs Queensland South

2PM – 🥇 Gold Medal Game: Victoria Metro vs New South Wales Metro

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April 18, 2026 – Men’s Semi-Finals

Semi-Final 1: Victoria Metro 85 def. Queensland South 71

April 18, 2026 – Under-18 Men’s Semi-Final
South Pine – Court 3

Game Snapshot

• Quarter Scores: VIC 15–29–20–21 (85) │ QLD STH 17–23–13–18 (71)
• Largest Lead: Victoria Metro +18
• Game Flow: Victoria Metro flipped the game in the second quarter and controlled the glass to pull away late.

Star performance leads the way

Victoria Metro’s frontcourt dictated the result through rebounding and second-chance production.

Liam Keogh led all scorers with 24 points, attacking inside and getting to the line (7-of-8 FT), while adding 11 rebounds. Yahya Basaran delivered a dominant interior presence with 15 points and 15 rebounds, including nine offensive boards to fuel repeat possessions. Captain Chandler Siegle anchored the offence with 12 points and eight assists, organising the half-court and controlling tempo.

Supporting cast steps up

Victoria Metro’s depth and efficiency inside separated the game:

• Riak Akhuar – 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting
• Michael Fitton – 6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
• Vlado Ivkovic – +17 impact in 17 minutes

Metro finished with 56–35 rebound advantage, including 23 offensive boards, generating 24 second-chance points.

Queensland South fights hard

Queensland South stayed within reach early behind perimeter scoring and shot-making. Jordan Kaesler was the standout with 29 points (11-of-18 FG, 4-of-8 3PT), carrying the offensive load. Andrew Watene added 17 points, while Isaiah Jorgenson contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds. However, Queensland South couldn’t match Metro’s physicality inside or bench production (0 bench points).

By the Numbers

Victoria Metro – FG: 34–82 (41%) │ 3PT: 4–20 (20%) │ FT: 13–15 (86%) │ REB: 56 │ AST: 21 │ TO: 16

Queensland South –  FG: 27–68 (39%) │ 3PT: 6–23 (26%) │ FT: 11–17 (64%) │ REB: 35 │ AST: 18 │ TO: 17

Victoria Metro advance to the gold medal game with a clear edge in rebounding, interior scoring, and ball movement, overwhelming Queensland South across the middle two quarters.

Semi-Final 2: New South Wales Metro 87 def. Victoria Country 75

April 18, 2026 – Under-18 Men’s Semi-Final
South Pine – Court 1

Game Snapshot

• Quarter Scores: VIC 26–11–13–25 (75) │ NSW 24–19–18–26 (87)
• Largest Lead: NSW Metro +12
• Game Flow: Victoria Country started fast, but NSW Metro flipped the game across the middle quarters and finished with control.

Star performance leads the way

NSW Metro’s balance and interior efficiency proved decisive after quarter time. Antonio Browne led the scoring with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, consistently finishing inside. Emin Joldic added 16 points and nine rebounds, impacting both ends during the second and third quarter surge. Captain Jasper Rock controlled the game with 11 points and eight assists, organising the offence and creating scoring looks.

Supporting cast steps up

NSW Metro received key contributions across the rotation:

• Riley McNulty – 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting
• Archie Lucas – 9 points on efficient looks
• Obi Adler – 8 points and 3 rebounds off the bench

Metro generated 54 points in the paint and 17 fast break points, capitalising on defensive stops and transition opportunities.

Victoria Country fights hard

Victoria Country rode two primary scorers but struggled for consistent support. Lucas Byrne delivered a game-high 31 points, knocking down five threes while carrying the offensive load across 40 minutes. Will Hamilton added 30 points and eight rebounds, providing scoring from multiple levels.

However, the remainder of the group combined for just 14 points, with limited bench production (3 points).

By the Numbers

New South Wales Metro – FG: 34–76 (44%) │ 3PT: 5–17 (29%) │ FT: 14–20 (70%) │ REB: 47 │ AST: 15 │ TO: 10

Victoria Country – FG: 29–79 (36%) │ 3PT: 9–27 (33%) │ FT: 8–13 (61%) │ REB: 49 │ AST: 11 │ TO: 14

NSW Metro advance to the gold medal game, using a decisive second and third quarter run, balanced scoring, and paint dominance to overcome Victoria Country’s two-man scoring output.

‍Men’s Consolation Games

• South Australia Metro def. Western Australia Country. Score: 98–96
• Western Australia Metro def. New South Wales Country. Score: 95–78
• Australian Capital Territory def. Queensland North. Score: 75–71
• Tasmania def. South Australia Country. Score: 81–56
• Western Australia Country def. New South Wales Country. Score: 93–79
• South Australia Country def. Northern Territory. Score: 102–78

April 17, 2026 – Under-18 Men – Quarter-Finals

Quarter-Final 2: Victoria Country 102 def. Western Australia Country 51 (Final)‍

South Pine – Court 1
Quarter Scores: 20–6, 32–16, 25–9, 25–20

Will Hamilton, Ayden Kenshole, and Lucas Byrne led a balanced, high-efficiency performance as Victoria Country overwhelmed WA Country by 51 in a one-sided quarter-final.

The trio set the tone early, combining shot-making, ball movement, and defensive pressure to break the game open before halftime.

Star Performers

• Will Hamilton (COE | Traralgon) – 15 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast │ 4-from-5 FG │ 3-from-3 3PT │ 4-of-5 FT
• Ayden Kenshole (Geelong United) – 15 pts │ 6-from-8 FG │ 3-from-4 3PT
• Lucas Byrne (Ballarat) – 13 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl │ 6-from-10 FG │ +37

Hamilton spaced the floor and finished efficiently, Kenshole provided scoring bursts from deep, and Byrne controlled the tempo across both ends.

Supporting Cast Impact

• Jackson Hood (Ballarat) – 13 pts │ 6-from-9 FG
• Riley Dilges (Ballarat) – 14 pts │ 6-from-10 FG
• Dashiell Smith (Shepparton) – 7 pts, 8 ast
• Edward O’Neill (Geelong United) – 7 pts │ 3-from-4 FG
• Geu Kuol (Longhorns) – 4 pts │ 2-from-2 FG

Nine players scored, with Smith’s 8 assists driving a ball movement-heavy offence that produced 31 total assists.

WA Country Standouts

• Kobe Birch (East Perth Eagles) – 14 pts, 5 reb │ 5-from-19 FG
• Lucas Jacob (Australind) – 11 pts │ 4-from-4 FG
• Brock Caporn (Mandurah) – 7 pts, 6 reb

Birch generated volume looks but faced heavy defensive pressure, while Jacob was efficient in limited minutes.

By the Numbers

• Hamilton + Kenshole + Byrne: 43 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists
• Dilges + Hood: 27 points combined
• Dashiell Smith: 8 assists
• Team: 31 assists │ 58% FG │ 12-from-26 3PT
• Largest lead: 51

Quarter-Final 3: New South Wales Metro 109 def. South Australia Metro 106 (2OT)‍

South Pine – Court 3
Quarter Scores: 22–20, 26–21, 14–29, 24–16, 23–20

Emin Joldic and Antonio Browne carried NSW Metro through a double-overtime classic, outlasting a historic 53-point explosion from Keenan Williams in a 109–106 win.

NSW Metro executed late across both extra periods, surviving repeated scoring bursts from Williams to advance.

Star Performers – NSW Metro

• Emin Joldic (Norths Bears) – 23 pts, 9 reb │ 10-from-23 FG
• Antonio Browne (Bankstown Bruins) – 22 pts, 10 reb, 8 ast │ 10-from-27 FG │ +14
• Cooper Hanson (Norths Bears) – 16 pts, 12 reb
• Riley McNulty (Penrith Panthers) – 14 pts, 6 reb
• Obi Adler (Norths Bears) – 12 pts │ 5-from-9 FG

Joldic provided scoring stability across four quarters and overtime, while Browne’s near triple-double (22–10–8) anchored NSW Metro’s late-game execution.

Playmaking & Control

• Jasper Rock (Sydney Comets) – 9 pts, 8 ast, 7 reb
• Archie Lucas (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles) – 10 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast

NSW Metro finished with 32 assists, consistently generating quality looks despite shooting just 40% from the field.

SA Metro Standout

• Keenan Williams (West Adelaide Bearcats) – 53 pts, 7 reb │ 17-from-35 FG │ 15-of-19 FT

Williams delivered one of the most dominant individual performances of the tournament, scoring at all three levels and carrying SA Metro through multiple comeback stretches.

Supporting SA Metro Contributors

• Awak Jr Machar (Southern Tigers) – 18 pts, 17 reb
• Josh Louis (West Adelaide Bearcats) – 16 pts
• Samuel Uzcategui (Norwood Flames) – 9 pts, 12 reb

Machar’s presence inside (17 rebounds) and Williams’ scoring gave SA Metro control of the paint (70 points inside).

By the Numbers

• Keenan Williams: 53 points (50% of team scoring)
• Browne + Joldic: 45 points, 19 rebounds, 9 assists
• NSW Metro: 32 assists │ 68 rebounds
• SA Metro: 70 points in the paint │ 51 rebounds
• Bench scoring: NSW Metro 31 │ SA Metro 3

Quarter-Final 1: Victoria Metro 91 def. New South Wales Country 64 (Final)‍

South Pine – Court 1
Quarter Scores: 22–22, 20–20, 24–13, 25–9

Yahya Basaran and Liam Keogh took control after halftime, powering Victoria Metro to a dominant second-half surge and a 27-point quarter-final win.

After a tight first half, Basaran’s efficiency and Keogh’s scoring punch separated the game in the third before Metro closed with a 25–9 fourth quarter.

Star Performers – Victoria Metro

• Yahya Basaran (Knox) – 20 pts, 7 reb │ 10-from-12 FG
• Liam Keogh (Kilsyth) – 17 pts │ 5-from-9 FG │ 2-from-3 3PT │ 5-of-5 FT
• Ryder Cleary (Eltham) – 12 pts │ 3-from-5 FG │ 2-from-4 3PT
• Chandler Siegle (Eltham) – 10 pts │ perfect 3-from-3 FG

Basaran dominated inside with elite efficiency, while Keogh provided perimeter scoring and control across the second half.

Depth Impact

• Charlie Wilson (Nunawading) – 9 pts, 5 stl
• Vlado Ivkovic (Knox) – 7 pts (2-from-2 FG)
• Riak Akhuar (Wyndham) – 7 pts, 4 ast

Victoria Metro produced 45 bench points, maintaining scoring pressure across all rotations.

NSW Country Standouts

• Jarrah Van Den Berg (Newcastle Falcons) – 17 pts │ 7-from-10 FG
• Will Dooley (Sydney Comets) – 13 pts, 7 reb, 5 stl
• Jack Rumble (Newcastle Falcons) – 13 pts │ perfect 5-of-5 FT

Van Den Berg was efficient in limited opportunities, while Dooley impacted defensively with five steals.

By the Numbers

• Basaran + Keogh: 37 points on 15-from-21 shooting
• Victoria Metro: 37 points off turnovers │ 20 fast break points
• Bench scoring: 45–14 advantage
• Second half: Victoria Metro 49 – NSW Country 22

Quarter-Final 4: Queensland South 90 def. Western Australia Metro 77 (Final)‍

South Pine – Court 4
Quarter Scores: 28–9, 19–24, 23–19, 20–25

Jordan Kaesler and Mac Seebeck powered Queensland South to a fast-start win, building a 19-point first-quarter buffer that proved decisive in a 13-point quarter-final victory.

Queensland South controlled the game early and maintained separation despite WA Metro’s second-half push.

Star Performers – Queensland South

• Jordan Kaesler (Logan Thunder) – 24 pts │ 7-from-18 FG │ 4-from-11 3PT │ 6-of-6 FT
• Mac Seebeck (Logan Thunder) – 22 pts, 10 reb │ 10-from-13 FG
• Isaiah Jorgenson (Northside Wizards) – 19 pts, 10 reb, 4 stl
• Andrew Watene (Logan Thunder) – 13 pts, 8 ast

Kaesler delivered perimeter scoring and late-game control, while Seebeck’s interior efficiency (76% FG) anchored the offence.

Control & Balance

• Queensland South generated 27 points from turnovers and controlled the paint with 50 inside points
• Watene’s playmaking (8 assists) helped produce consistent scoring opportunities across the starting group

WA Metro Standouts

• Riley Barmentloo (Perth Redbacks) – 15 pts, 11 reb │ 6-from-11 FG
• Luke Paul (Willetton Tigers) – 10 pts, 10 reb, 6 ast
• Alexander Edwards (Willetton Tigers) – 11 pts

Barmentloo provided inside production, while Paul filled the stat sheet despite heavy defensive attention.

Supporting Contributions

• Jaaden Exeter (Perry Lakes) – 7 pts
• John Aryang (East Perth Eagles) – 7 pts, 4 reb
• Zakarayah Magdy (East Perth Eagles) – 8 pts

WA Metro received 40 bench points, but struggled to generate consistent scoring efficiency (40% FG, 28% from three).

By the Numbers

• Kaesler + Seebeck + Jorgenson: 65 points, 25 rebounds
• Seebeck: 10-from-13 FG
• Watene: 8 assists, 0 turnovers
• Points off turnovers: Queensland South 27 │ WA Metro 11
• Largest lead: 21

Under-18 Men — Pool A Results

April 12, 2026

• Victoria Metro 92 def. Tasmania 51
• New South Wales Metro 92 def. South Australia Country 62
• Queensland South 106 def. Western Australia Country 74

April 13, 2026

• Queensland South 85 def. Victoria Metro 79
• New South Wales Metro 107 def. Tasmania 59
• Western Australia Country 98 def. South Australia Country 65

April 14, 2026

• Queensland South 93 def. Tasmania 66
• Victoria Metro 100 def. South Australia Country 55
• New South Wales Metro 91 def. Western Australia Country 65

April 15, 2026

• Queensland South 100 def. South Australia Country 52
• Victoria Metro 99 def. New South Wales Metro 78
• Western Australia Country 89 def. Tasmania 62

April 16, 2026

• New South Wales Metro 105 def. Queensland South 86
• Victoria Metro 89 def. Western Australia Country 67

Under-18 Men — Pool B Results

April 12, 2026

• Western Australia Metro 97 def. South Australia Metro 88
• Victoria Country 94 def. Queensland North 78
• New South Wales Country 72 def. Australian Capital Territory 70
• Western Australia Metro 109 def. New South Wales Country 85
• Victoria Country 109 def. Northern Territory 47

April 13, 2026

• Queensland North 78 def. Australian Capital Territory 62
• Victoria Country 94 def. Western Australia Metro 85
• New South Wales Country 88 def. Northern Territory 48
• South Australia Metro 102 def. Queensland North 71

April 14, 2026

• Australian Capital Territory 108 def. Northern Territory 65
• South Australia Metro 85 def. New South Wales Country 59
• Western Australia Metro 97 def. Queensland North 71
• Victoria Country 93 def. Australian Capital Territory 49

April 15, 2026

• Victoria Country 100 def. South Australia Metro 81
• Western Australia Metro 112 def. Northern Territory 50
• New South Wales Country 69 def. Queensland North 67
• South Australia Metro 101 def. Australian Capital Territory 64

April 16, 2026

• Queensland North 89 def. Northern Territory 78
• Victoria Country 81 def. New South Wales Country 65
• Western Australia Metro 90 def. Australian Capital Territory 61
• South Australia Metro 107 def. Northern Territory 51

Classification / Cross-Pool

• Tasmania 54 def. South Australia Country 51 (3PM)

UNDER-18 MEN — FINALS FIXTURES

Friday, April 17 — Quarter-Finals

• 3PM — QF2: 1st Pool B vs 4th Pool A
• 3PM — QF3: 2nd Pool A vs 3rd Pool B
• 7PM — QF1: 1st Pool A vs 4th Pool B
• 7PM — QF4: 2nd Pool B vs 3rd Pool A

Saturday, April 18 — Semi-Finals

• 3PM — SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF4
• 5PM — SF2: Winner QF2 vs Winner QF3

Sunday, April 19 — Finals Day

• 12PM — 🥉 Bronze Medal Game
• 2PM — 🥇 Gold Medal Game

Classification (Men)

• 7th–13th place games run across all three days
• Includes:
  • Play-Off 5/6 (Sunday 8AM)
  • Play-Off 7/8 (Saturday 7PM)
  • Play-Off 9/10 (Saturday 11AM)
  • Play-Off 11 (Saturday 11AM)
  • Play-Off 12/13 (Saturday 7PM)