Flames pair guide NSW to national bronze medal
Sydney Flames duo Isla Juffermans and Caitlyn Martin have powered their NSW girls’ side to a bronze medal at the recent under 20s Australian Championships in Ballarat.
The tournament saw NSW, coached by Sydney Kings Ring of Honour inductee Tom Garlepp, open with a 59-43 win against Victoria Navy before losing 70-67 to South Australia Red.
They rebounded on Wednesday with a 97-52 triumph over ACT – booking them a quarter-final clash with Western Australia.
In the quarter-final, NSW smashed their rivals 79-55.
On the back of this, they were pitted against Victoria for a spot in the big dance.
Unfortunately, a courageous effort from NSW wasn’t enough, losing 81-76 to the eventual champions.
Congrats to the @BasketballNSW u20 girls team, featuring Flames’ Isla Juffermans & Caitlyn Martin, on winning the bronze medal at the 2024 @BasketballAus Titles in Ballarat 🥉
Their side edged @basketballqld 81-67 in Sunday’s play-off, thanks to Martin’s 20 points. #FlameOn pic.twitter.com/tx7OPMbf64
— Sydney Flames (@TheSydneyFlames) February 4, 2024
This saw NSW take on Queensland for the bronze medal – a fixture they were victorious in 81-67.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Juffermans finished with averages of 14.4 points, 13.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists, while captain Martin finished with 12.8 points, 3.4 boards and 3.4 dimes per contest.
Next up for the Flames is their ‘Thank You’ Lauren Jackson game against the Flyers on Sunday, February 18 – with tickets still available here.
Juffermans was also awarded the tournament’s Defensive Player Award, for her strong play on that end of the court.