DESPITE another strong showing from Jai Fa’ale, Western Australia Metro proved too good for Victoria Metro at the 2025 Under-18 Boys National Championship on Wednesday.

In a highly anticipated clash, two of the strongest sides in the tournament went head-to-head on Wednesday afternoon, in what could be a preview of the Gold Medal Match later this week. Victoria boasted the impressive talents of Fa’ale, who has stormed onto the scene as one of the best players in the country.

Although Fa’ale played his part for Victoria, it was Western Australia who emerged victorious, claiming an eight-point win to put themselves in a strong position for the remainder of the tournament, and indicating their best is as good as anyone.

It was a hot start to the match for West Australian Alexander Edwards, who went on a personal 6-0 run to start the game and get his side out to an early lead. Nine of his 13 points for the match came in the first quarter, and proved crucial in setting up Western Australia early on, although Vic Metro led by two at the first change.

The second quarter was where WA Metro truly got ascendancy, outscoring Victoria 26-16 to turn their deficit into an eight-point buffer at half time. It proved to be the most important patch of the game, with the remainder of the contest proving quite even once again, but Western Australia held on down the stretch.

Fa’ale finished with a game-high 20 points on 8/22 shooting from the field to go with seven rebounds and three assists. His ability to score across all three levels was unmatched, and despite some seriously close attention from the opposition, still managed to stamp his mark on the contest. The NBA Academy member looms as a serious player in the future, and is progressing in every match.

Guer Bar flirted with a double-double, and finished the match with 13 points and nine boards off the bench, while Liam Keough rounded out the double-digit scorers for Victoria Metro in the loss.

For the victors, skipper Andreas Grubisa led the way with 16 points on 5/11 shooting from the field and 3/7 shooting from behind the arc in an inspiring performance. Lachlan Burnett continued his strong campaign with 14 points, while Kuron Lodu Swaka Lo Buluk posted 10 points of his own and Marley Sam overcame an off shooting day to stuff the stat sheet with seven points, eight rebounds and nine assists.