If you thought Orange gun Matt Gray’s selection in the NSW under-20 side at just 16 – he’s now 17 – was the ultimate nod to his seemingly immeasurable potential, you’d be wrong.
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His performance for the side was.
Gray, playing three years above his actual age group, was huge for the sky blues at last week’s Basketball Australia Under-20 National Championship at Bendigo, where his NSW side ended up claiming a silver medal.
Playing centre, Gray featured in all seven of NSW’s games and ended up averaging almost 12 points per game. He also averaged almost five rebounds a game too.
His best performance came in NSW’s stunning competition-opening victory against Western Australia, which the sky blues won 110-100.
Gray dropped 20 points in that game but more impressively, was gigantic in defence.
He produced five huge Dikembe Mutombo-like blocks and also notched seven rebounds to lead his side to victory.
Following that the sky blues were downed by South Australia (106-73), defeated Tasmania (90-76), lost to the ACT (76-66) and thumped Queensland 78-57 in their final round State of Origin battle.
NSW finished fourth as a result.
The side produced its best performance of the tournament in the first-versus fourth semi-final to down the minor premiership-winning Victorian side.
They did it easily too, winning 90-75 in the end, with Gray landing eight points and recording two blocks and six boards in another strong showing.
In the final, the sky blues fought hard against their more-fancied South Australian opponents.
In fact, they probably should’ve won but for an incredible South Australian comeback.
NSW led at all three of the breaks and was in the box seat at the final two in particular.
After leading 13-12 at quarter-time, the sky blues extended that lead to 36-28 at half-time. South Australia pegged it back by one, to trail 58-51 at the final break.
VIDEO: Watch the entire Basketball Australia Under-20 National Championship gold medal game
With 10 minutes between NSW and a stunning upset victory and gold medal, South Australia lifted.
Big time.
Led by Isaac White, who produced a game-high 19 points, the eventual champions piled on 24 points to NSW’s eight in the final term.
In the final three minutes, South Australia really broke away.
They took the lead with just over two and half minutes left, and never gave it up.
Ultimately, South Australia claimed a 75-66 victory.
Gray dropped six points, produced one more block and grabbed six boards in the decider, where he acquitted himself well against his older, bigger counterparts.
NSW’s women’s under-20 also finished with a silver medal.
That side was beaten by the ever-dominant Victorians, going down 85-60.
Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
