Team spirit wins at national basketball finals

BY VELMA GARA

The 14s girls from West Australia and boys from Victoria are this year’s National Indigenous Basketball Tournament (NIBT) champions.

In the girls game West Australia defeated New South Wales, 50 to 34 and in the boys Victoria defeated West Australia, 42 to 25.

It was a successful tournament for West Australia having both teams featured in the grand finals two years in a row.

Grand finalists from the inaugural NIBT, Queensland South, played for the bronze medal and won both games.

The girls’ team defeated Victoria in an exciting game, 57 to 54 with overtime.

In the boys’ game Victoria took out a high scoring win, 71 to 53, over South Australia.

The Queensland South girls’ team was coached by Naomi Moke and Lavinia Taylor, and the boys’ team coached by Tidjane Diop and Simon Taylor.

It was the second year of successful competition hosted by the Patty Mills’ Indigenous Basketball Australia (IBA) with teams from eight regions – Northern Territory, Torres Strait, Queensland North, Queensland South, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and West Australia – in the competition.

The NIBT was held on the Gold Coast from 12 – 15 April 2023.