ONE OF the most exciting teams at the 2024 National Schools Championships secured a thrilling win on Monday, as Lake Ginninderra College defeated The Southport School by one-point on the Gold Coast.

Lake Ginninderra came into the tournament with plenty of spotlight on their performances, largely due to the inclusion of Jacob Furphy to the roster. Furphy is one of the most talented Aussie youngsters in the basketball world, having committed to play for UConn in the NCAAM and already representing his country at FIBA level.

Although Southport gave them a serious scare and produced an impressive performance as a team, Lake Ginninderra did just enough to edge out a victory by the thinnest of margins.

Furphy showed why he is considered a class above his peers, stuffing the stat sheet to keep his name under lights with 23 points (9/23 FG), 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. He has shown an excellent scoring ability in previous performances, and although his three-ball was not falling at a consistent rate (1/6 3PT), he still showed his class with relentless pressure on the basket and a smooth mid-range mechanic.

Although Furphy’s presence held most of the spotlight, he was given plenty of help by a pair of teammates in Ajak Nyuon and Aleer Chol, as the trio proved to be the defining factor in getting Lake Ginninderra to victory.

Nyuon was the game’s leading scorer with 27 points on 12/20 shooting from the field, and like Furphy, looked to drive inside and score close to the basket. He was a consistent performer across all four quarters and with a lot of the defence collapsing on his star teammate, Nyuon simply added to the opposition’s headaches with professional scoring.

Chol was a beast in the low block, controlling the paint and using his athleticism and size to torment Southport’s frontcourt players. Although it was not his most accurate scoring performance given he shot 4/13 from the field and 0/6 from the three, it was his work on the glass which stood out the most. He pulled down 15 rebounds (five offensive), while also swatting four shots to make his presence known in the paint for players from both sides.

Southport’s performance was still commendable, and the team was even in a winning position late in the piece, before some free throws to the opposition in the final seconds proved costly. Jack Tweedy led the way with 23 points, and could have had an even bigger game if he shot better than his 6/13 from the free throw line. Ashley McGrath (19 points) and Riley Oberman (17 points, 14 rebounds) also impressed for The Southport School.