THEY may not have come home with a medal, but Bathurst basketballers Matilda Flood and Will Cranston-Lown certainly made an impact at the under 18 Australian Junior Championships.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Competing for NSW Country at Townsville in the eight-day tournament, Cranston-Lown’s outfit placed fourth while Flood and her team-mates ranked eighth.
It was NSW Metro who denied Cranston-Lown’s NSW Country outfit a podium finish, winning Saturday’s bronze medal play-off 93-72.
Though the Bathurst Goldminer tried hard – as evidenced by his 16 points, four rebounds and two assists – Metro was simply too good.
The city outfit led at every break, going on from a 17-point advantage at half-time to claim the bronze medal.
NSW Country ended up winning five of its eight games, with Cranston-Lown averaging 8.5 points, four rebounds and 3.6 assists per match.
He shot at 41.67 percent from the field, his best effort 22 points in a win over Western Australia Country.
Flood’s team also squared off against NSW Metro in their final match of the tournament on Saturday.
Despite being a bottom-age player, Flood was the standout for NSW Country as it fought hard but ultimately lost 60-51. She finished with eight points, 14 rebounds and four steals.
Country led by seven early on and though finishing with an 11-5 run, strong middle quarters from Metro proved the difference.
Across the tournament Flood amassed 45 points, 42 rebounds and 16 assists.
