U18 & U16 Nationals: Round-up

In what has been a whirlwind two weeks for Basketball Otago’s representative programme, five of our teams proudly took the court at the 2025 Foot Locker U18 and U16 Nationals. Here’s a full recap of the action across the two tournaments: .

Under 18 Girls

The U18 Girls opened their campaign with a narrow one-point loss to Auckland, before bouncing back with a commanding win over Waitakere West. Despite a strong effort, they fell short against eventual champions Tauranga. 

A third-place finish in pool play saw them move into the 9-12 bracket and they opened with a solid win over North Canterbury. Two close defeats to round off the week saw the team finish 11th overall. 

There were several standout individual performances. Shanti Kara led the way with an impressive 16.1 points per game, while Kiana Brown wasn’t far behind with 15.5 - both finished among the tournament’s Top 15 scorers. Ruby Fox, a North Otago loanee, also made her mark averaging 12 points per game. 

Under 18 Boys

The U18 Boys started the tournament brightly with a win over Harbour B but found themselves in a tightly contested pool. Ultimately, a tough countback scenario placed them in the 17-20 bracket. Despite battling through close games, the team finished 20th overall. 

Harry Townsend had a standout tournament, finishing as the third-leading scorer with 24.1 points per game. Carlos Dean also featured among the Top 15 scorers with 20.5 respectively.

Under 16 Girls A

The U16 A team approached the tournament with clear intent. A 30-point opening win over Taranaki set the tone and a strong finish to pool play with a win over Gisborne secured a spot in the 9-12 bracket. 

From there, the team remained unbeaten - defeating Auckland with ease, outlasting Manawatu in a thrilling double-overtime contest and closing with a win over Nelson to claim 9th place. 

Bottom-age player Aria Brown was a standout, averaging 23.8 points per game and earning a place among the tournament’s Top 5 scorers. 

Under 16 Girls B

After the remarkable achievement of qualifying for Nationals, the U16 B team entered Nationals knowing the challenge ahead. While they showed moments of promise and great resilience, the squad finished pool play in the 17-20 bracket. 

Following a hard-fought loss to Hutt Valley, the girls bounced back with a momentous victory over Rotorua B. Their tournament concluded with a dramatic buzzer-beater loss to Gisborne. 

With eight bottom-age players on the roster, this campaign provided invaluable experience for the future. Standout performances came from Honor Blaikie and Lulu Mahoney (still U14), who both averaged 9 points per game. 

Under 16 Boys

Seeded into a challenging pool based on 2024 results, the U16 Boys proved they could match up with top competition. A buzzer-beating win over Manawatu was the highlight from pool play and the team finished strongly with wins over North Otago and Rotorua to secure 18th place. 

South Canterbury loanee Fortune Michael impressed throughout, finishing as the tournament’s sixth-leading scorer with 24.2 points per game. He was well supported by Aden Hobbs (13.8 ppg) and Carter Bracewell (10.2 ppg). 

Basketball Otago extends our heartfelt thanks to all players, coaches, managers and support staff for their dedication throughout the representative season. Your hard work, resilience and passion for the game continue to make these moments and milestones possible.