19

Apr

U18 Nationals

Leuluai, Moke lead Vic & QLD into U18 gold medal clash

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basketball.com.au

Leuluai, Moke lead Vic & QLD into U18 gold medal clash
Leuluai, Moke lead Vic & QLD into U18 gold medal clash

Queensland South guard Mia Moke scored 24 points, hitting eight three-pointers in a dominant performance at the 2026 Australian Under-18 Women’s Championships. Photo: FIBA.com

Leuluai, Moke lead Victoria Metro, Queensland South into U18 Women’s gold medal clash

Victoria Metro and Queensland South booked a gold medal clash after contrasting semi-final wins at the 2026 Under-18 Women’s Championships on April 18.

Victoria Leuluai was perfect from the field (6-from-6) in a dominant 104–51 win against NSW Metro, with Vanessa Tavete (15 points), Madison Ryan (13 points, 12 rebounds) and Sophie Richardson (13 points) driving a balanced offensive performance. Victoria Metro’s pressure forced 44 turnovers and generated 55 points, blowing the game open with a 35–9 third quarter.

In the second semi-final, Mya Moke (15 points, 7 rebounds) led Queensland South to a 62–48 win against Queensland North. Olivia Olechnowicz (14 points, 4-from-7 3PT) provided perimeter scoring, while Jemyma Manyok (15 rebounds) and Jovana Ilic (11 points, 10 rebounds) controlled the glass.

The results set up today's gold medal game between Victoria Metro and Queensland South at 12PM, with NSW Metro and Queensland North meeting for bronze at 2PM.

April 19, 2026 – Under 18 Women’s Schedule

  • 10AM – Victoria Country vs South Australia Metro
  • Gold Medal: 12PM – Victoria Metro vs Queensland South
  • Silver Medal: 2PM – New South Wales Metro vs Queensland North

Saturday, April 18, 2026 – Women’s Semi-Finals

Semi-Final 1: Victoria Metro 104 def. NSW Metro 51 (Final)

South Pine – Court 1
April 18, 2026

Game Snapshot

  • Quarter Scores: 23–15, 23–12, 35–9, 23–15
  • Largest Lead: 56 (Victoria Metro)
  • Game Context: Balanced scoring and defensive pressure from Victoria Metro broke the game open after halftime.

Victoria Leuluai delivered a perfect shooting performance to headline a dominant Victoria Metro display, finishing with 13 points on 6-from-6 shooting while adding five assists in a 53-point semi-final win.

Leuluai’s efficiency set the tone for a Victoria Metro offence that shared the load, with Vanessa Tavete (15 points), Sophie Richardson (13 points, 3-from-4 3PT) and Madison Ryan (13 points, 12 rebounds) all making major contributions across the opening three quarters.

Ryan controlled the glass throughout, anchoring a +43 plus/minus performance, while Richardson stretched the floor early to create separation before the game-breaking third quarter.

That decisive stretch was driven by Victoria Metro’s depth, with Tiedore Puoch (7 points, 6 rebounds) and Matilda Trout (11 points, 6 rebounds) helping dominate second-chance and interior scoring opportunities.

Leuluai’s perfect night, combined with Ryan’s rebounding control and Tavete’s scoring punch, powered a complete Victoria Metro performance built on depth, pressure and execution.

NSW Metro Contributors

  • Angela Tako – 15 points │ 5-from-6 FT
  • Emma Lukell – 12 points │ 5-from-7 FG

Tako provided scoring aggression getting to the free-throw line, while Lukell was efficient inside, but NSW Metro struggled to generate consistent offence around them.

By the Numbers

Victoria Metro

  • FG: 43-from-88 (48%)
  • Assists: 34
  • Points from Turnovers: 55
  • Points in the Paint: 64

NSW Metro

  • FG: 17-from-54 (31%)
  • 3PT: 2-from-11 (18%)
  • Turnovers: 44

Queensland South 62 def. Queensland North 48 (Final)

South Pine – Court 3
April 18, 2026

Game Snapshot

  • Quarter Scores: 17–11, 11–18, 20–10, 14–9
  • Largest Lead: 14 (Queensland South)
  • Game Context: Queensland South regained control in the second half behind rebounding dominance and perimeter scoring.

Mya Moke led Queensland South with 15 points and seven rebounds, setting the tone in a physical interior battle as her side pulled away in the second half.

Moke’s scoring came across all four quarters, while Olivia Olechnowicz added 14 points, knocking down 4-from-7 from three-point range to stretch Queensland North’s defence and create spacing.

Inside, Jemyma Manyok anchored the glass with a dominant 15-rebound performance, combining with Jovana Ilic (11 points, 10 rebounds) to control second-chance opportunities and limit Queensland North to just two second-chance points for the game.

Catip provided the primary offensive spark, scoring efficiently from the perimeter, while Mapp competed on the boards with a double-double. Smith contributed across multiple categories but Queensland North struggled to maintain scoring consistency after halftime.

Moke’s inside presence, Olechnowicz’s shooting and Manyok’s rebounding dominance powered Queensland South to a controlled semi-final win, built on second-half execution and physicality.

Queensland North Contributors

  • Eden Catip – 19 points │ 7-from-16 FG │ 3-from-8 3PT
  • Lily Mapp – 11 points, 10 rebounds
  • Isabel Smith – 9 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

By the Numbers

Queensland South

  • FG: 23-from-76 (30%)
  • 3PT: 8-from-25 (32%)
  • Rebounds: 56
  • Second Chance Points: 17

Queensland North

  • FG: 19-from-66 (28%)
  • 3PT: 6-from-24 (25%)
  • Rebounds: 45
  • Second Chance Points: 2

April 18, 2026 – Women’s Consolation Games

  • Victoria Country def. New South Wales Country. Score: 59–55
  • Australian Capital Territory def. Western Australia Country. Score: 71–51
  • Western Australia Metro def. Tasmania. Score: 82–52
  • New South Wales Country def. South Australia Country. Score: 77–63

Friday, April 17Quarter-Finals

Quarter-Final 3: Queensland North 76 def. Victoria Country 64 (Final)

South Pine – Court 3
Quarter Scores: 25–22, 11–19, 20–16, 20–7

Ella Duroux and Isabel Smith powered Queensland North to a strong fourth-quarter finish, closing out Victoria Country with a decisive 20–7 final term.

After trailing at halftime, Queensland North regained control through defensive pressure and rebounding before pulling away late.

Star Performers – Queensland North

  • Ella Duroux (Townsville Basketball) – 18 pts, 14 reb │ 8-from-12 FG
  • Isabel Smith (Mackay Basketball) – 18 pts │ 7-from-18 FG
  • Maggie Thorburn (Mackay Basketball) – 14 pts, 7 reb
  • Addison Davey (Burdekin Basketball) – 14 pts │ 4-from-8 3PT

Duroux controlled the interior on both ends, while Smith and Davey provided scoring support across key stretches.

Control & Impact

  • Lily Mapp (Mackay Basketball) – 5 pts, 12 reb
  • Queensland North won the glass 57–54 and generated second-chance opportunities (15 points)

Victoria Country Standouts

  • Eliza Ashby (Ballarat) – 16 pts, 16 reb
  • Aiysha Balogun (Geelong | Melbourne) – 12 pts, 8 reb
  • Ella Condon (Surf Coast) – 11 pts, 8 reb
  • Jade Chow (Geelong United) – 10 pts │ 4-from-5 FG

Ashby dominated the boards, but Victoria Country struggled for efficiency (32% FG), particularly from the perimeter.

By the Numbers

  • Duroux + Smith: 36 points, 17 rebounds
  • Davey: 4-from-8 from three
  • Ashby: 16 rebounds
  • Fourth quarter: Queensland North 20 – Victoria Country 7

Quarter-Final 1: Victoria Metro vs South Australia Country (No Live Scores)

Victoria Metro Advanced to Semi-Finals

Quarter-Final 2: Queensland South 77 def. New South Wales Country 43 (Final)

South Pine – Court 3
Quarter Scores: 21–13, 18–11, 18–8, 20–11

Mya Moke and Olivia Olechnowicz led a dominant Queensland South performance, setting the tone early and extending the margin every quarter in a 34-point quarter-final win.

Queensland South’s defensive pressure and turnover generation broke the game open, holding NSW Country to just 43 points.

Star Performers – Queensland South

  • Mya Moke (Logan Thunder) – 24 pts │ 8-from-18 FG │ 8-from-14 3PT
  • Olivia Olechnowicz (Logan Thunder) – 14 pts │ 5-of-5 FT
  • Jemyma Manyok (Logan Thunder) – 7 pts, 7 reb, 3 blk
  • Jay Sebasio (Logan Thunder) – 3 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast

Moke’s perimeter scoring created separation, while Olechnowicz contributed across both ends.

Depth & Defensive Impact

  • Sinai Foai – 6 pts, 9 reb
  • Violet Johnson – 6 pts, 5 reb

Queensland South forced 29 turnovers, converting them into 31 points, and controlled the glass (60 rebounds).

NSW Country Standouts

  • Grace Lane (Illawarra Hawks) – 14 pts
  • Addison Bonham (Illawarra Hawks) – 13 pts

NSW Country struggled offensively, shooting 28% from the field and generating just 4 points from turnovers.

By the Numbers

  • Moke: 24 points (8-from-14 from three)
  • Points off turnovers: Queensland South 31 │ NSW Country 4
  • Rebounds: Queensland South 60 │ NSW Country 44
  • Largest lead: 38

Quarter-Final 4: New South Wales Metro 75 def. South Australia Country 44 (Final)

South Pine – Court 4
Quarter Scores: 17–5, 15–22, 22–11, 21–6

Emma Lukell delivered an elite interior performance as NSW Metro controlled the game from the outset, holding SA Country to just 44 points in a 31-point quarter-final win.

NSW Metro’s defensive pressure set the tone early before a dominant second half (43–17) broke the game open.

Star Performers – NSW Metro

  • Emma Lukell (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles) – 22 pts, 7 reb │ 10-from-12 FG
  • Sasha Clague (Norths Bears) – 13 pts │ 5-from-8 FG
  • Angela Tako (Penrith Panthers) – 11 pts, 6 reb, 3 stl
  • Izabella Mansory (Norths Bears) – 9 pts

Lukell controlled the paint with efficiency, finishing at 83% from the field, while Clague provided scoring support.

Control & Impact

  • NSW Metro scored 62 points in the paint
  • Won the rebound battle 61–42
  • Generated 17 second-chance points

SA Country Standouts

  • Daisy Hocking (Strathalbyn) – 12 pts, 9 reb
  • Lily Milosevic (Strathalbyn) – 9 pts, 7 reb

SA Country struggled offensively, shooting 23% from the field and 12% from three.

By the Numbers

  • Lukell: 22 pts on 10-from-12 FG
  • Clague + Tako: 24 points combined
  • Points in the paint: 62–22 advantage
  • Second half: NSW Metro 43 – SA Country 17

Classification Games

Classification #1: Western Australia Metro def. Western Australia Country 95–52

Classification #2: Tasmania def. Australian Capital Territory 93–58

Classification #3: South Australia Metro def. South Australia Country 70–60

April 18, 2026 – Women's Semi-Finals

SF1 – 3PM: Victoria Metro (QF1 Winner) vs New South Wales Metro (QF4 Winner)

SF2 – 5PM: Queensland North (QF3 Winner) vs Queensland South (QF2 Winner)

Under-18 Women – Pool A Results

April 12, 2026

  • New South Wales Metro 79 def. Australian Capital Territory 56
  • South Australia Metro 103 def. Western Australia Country 45
  • Queensland South 72 def. Victoria Country 43

April 13, 2026

  • Victoria Country 58 def. Western Australia Country 44
  • South Australia Metro 80 def. Australian Capital Territory 47
  • Queensland South 91 def. New South Wales Metro 37

April 14, 2026

  • South Australia Metro 62 def. Victoria Country 60
  • New South Wales Metro 86 def. Western Australia Country 36
  • Queensland South 93 def. Australian Capital Territory 35

April 15, 2026

  • Australian Capital Territory 62 def. Western Australia Country 58
  • Victoria Country 58 def. New South Wales Metro 56
  • Queensland South 94 def. South Australia Metro 58

April 16, 2026

  • New South Wales Country 86 def. Tasmania 75
  • Queensland North 68 def. Western Australia Metro 60
  • Victoria Metro 135 def. South Australia Country 29
Under-18 Women – Pool A
Team W–L PF PA +/– %
Victoria Metro5–0
Queensland North4–1
South Australia Metro3–2
New South Wales Country2–3
Western Australia Metro1–4
Tasmania0–5
Under-18 Women – Pool B
Team W–L PF PA +/– %
Queensland South5–0
New South Wales Metro4–1
Victoria Country3–2
South Australia Country2–3
Australian Capital Territory1–4
Western Australia Country0–5

Under-18 Women – Pool B Results

April 12, 2026

  • Victoria Metro 111 def. Western Australia Metro 36
  • South Australia Country 62 def. Tasmania 59
  • Queensland North 66 def. New South Wales Country 59

April 13, 2026

  • New South Wales Country 76 def. Western Australia Metro 70
  • Victoria Metro 111 def. Tasmania 49
  • Queensland North 95 def. South Australia Country 63

April 14, 2026

  • Queensland North 88 def. Tasmania 65
  • South Australia Country 69 def. Western Australia Metro 60
  • Victoria Metro 104 def. New South Wales Country 55

April 15, 2026

  • South Australia Country 75 def. New South Wales Country 45
  • Western Australia Metro 64 def. Tasmania 58
  • Victoria Metro 109 def. Queensland North 59

April 16, 2026

  • Victoria Country 84 def. Australian Capital Territory 32
  • New South Wales Metro 75 def. South Australia Metro 70
  • Queensland South 94 def. Western Australia Country 26

Under-18 Women – Finals Schedule

Saturday, April 18 – Semi-Finals

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

Classification

  • 9AM – Classification #4: Loser QF2 vs Loser QF3
  • 11AM – Play-Off 11/12
  • 1PM – Play-Off 9/10
  • 7PM – Play-Off 7/8

Sunday, April 19 – Finals Day

  • 10AM – Play-Off 5/6
  • 12PM – 🥇 Gold Medal Game
  • 2PM – 🥉 Bronze Medal Game

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