The Australian men’s and women’s basketball teams swept both titles at the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2024 in Singapore on Sunday.
Playing at the Singapore Sports Hub, the Australian men’s 3×3 basketball team, playing in their fifth straight final, eased past Iran 21-7 in the summit clash to win their fourth crown. No other team has won more.
Todd Blanchfield, who hit the two-pointer to seal the title, scored seven points while William Hickey and James Alexander O’Donnell combined for another 10 points for the Gangurrus men.
The Australian women also extended their record as the most successful team in the history of the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup after winning their fourth title in Singapore. They defeated New Zealand 18-13 in the final to take the crown.
Anneli Maley proved decisive for Gangurrus women as she scored eight points. With the score tied at 3-3, it was Maley and Alex Wilson who took charge of the contest and helped Australia run away with the game.
Australia held a slim 15-13 lead inside the final minute before Alex Wilson hit a clutch two to effectively end New Zealand’s resistance
Earlier on the day, the Australian women’s 3×3 basketball team downed Thailand and Mongolia in the knockouts.
Alex Wilson contributed eight points to help her team beat Thailand 21-8 in the quarter-finals. Against Mongolia in the semis, Marena Whittle took centre stage with 10 points in a 21-6 victory.
Meanwhile, the Gangurrus men edged out the People’s Republic of China 21-15 in the quarter-finals. Blanchfield stole the show with 10 points.
Defending champions Mongolia, who beat Australia in the final last time, also folded 21-11 in the semis as Blanchfield finished as the top-scorer once again, with 11 points this time.
Todd Blanchfield finished as the top-scorer in the men’s tournament with 47 points in five matches while Anneli Maley led the women’s charts with 31 points. Her team-mate Marena Whittle was close behind in second place with 30 points from five games.