THE AUSTRALIAN Capital Territory (ACT) produced a gritty five-point win over South Australia Country at the 2025 Under-18 Boys National Championships on Friday morning.

SA Country boasted the star pairing of Kale Matthews-Hampton and Ethan Macdermot, both of whom have been among the best players at the tournament, and even combined for 69 of their team’s 95 points against New South Wales a few days earlier, showing how dangerous they can be.

However, on the back of a solid defensive showing, ACT managed to restrict the opposition to 67 points for the match, and claimed an impressive victory on the back of a huge double-double from Ryan Gooch, who had his best game of the tournament.

SA got out to an early lead, threatening to take over the match on the back of a scoring explosion from Matthews-Hampton. The SA star scored seven quick points at the end of the quarter to see his side lead by seven points at the first change.

Crucially, ACT answered in the second quarter, lifting the defensive intensity and pressuring South Australia into careless turnovers. ACT also lifted on the offensive end, looking to put much more pressure on the rim and scoring heavily in transition. At the end of the half, it was ACT who led by two points on the back of a 22-13 period.

The third quarter saw some excellent back and forth action between the two sides, with the intensity in the match lifting as each run was answered down the other end. Both teams looked to score inside and attack the basket downhill, with jumpshots coming few and far between as fatigue began to set in. It was a one-point buffer to SA Country, and anyone’s game heading into the last.

The fourth quarter eerily reflected the second period, with South Australia’s offence drying up, allowing ACT to make their matchwinning run. It was Gooch who took over when it mattered most, breaking the game open by scoring nine straight points for ACT, which was enough to take the lead and put the pressure back on South Australia. He then nailed a three-pointer to put his side up by five, sealing the contest with just under a minute to play.

Coming off the bench, Gooch finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in a magnificent individual effort. When the game was there to be won, it was Gooch who stood up and proved the matchwinner.

Despite the loss, it was another herculean effort from Matthews-Hampton, who led all comers with 25 points (9/30 FG), 13 rebounds and four steals as he tried to will his side to victory. The toll of his offensive performances was evident at stages, but he was still relentless in his pursuit of baskets.