U-18 Girls Basketball State Championships All-Star 5 & MVP

Congratulations to the girls who were selected from the 2018 Under 18 State Championships for the All-Star 5 and MVP.

Athletes were selected by criteria that measured their impactful individual performances that supported team results, relative to the expectations of that team. All athletes at the Under 18 State Champs performed exceptionally well.

Alex Fowler (Townsville)

Alex Fowler is the engine that made the Townsville Flames go. Fowler spent all week demonstrating her elite competitive nature and her physical motor. As the leader of the Townsville Flames, Fowler was clearly determined to win a gold medal. Time and time again she found ways to recover possession for her team through her sheer dominance on the offensive glass. Fowler did everything with great physicality, exhausting all defenders who were assigned to try and minimise her impact. Alex finished the tournament as the second leading scorer, with an average of 21.43 points per outing. Well deserving of her nomination in the All-Star 5.

Sarah Heard (Cairns)

Sarah Heard was the best scorer in the tournament with 25.14 points per game for the Cairns Dolphins. Heard displayed her potent offensive arsenal throughout the competition, mixing up between interior dominance and perimeter finesse. Heard’s ability to handle the basketball and shoot from all distances, made her a tough cover for opposition forwards. Sarah had her best scoring games against Rockhampton (34) and Spartans (41). The Cairns Dolphins were competitive all week, largely due to the offensive efforts of Heard.

Grace Ellis (Ipswich)

The heart and soul of the Ipswich Force, Grace Ellis had an outstanding state championship carnival. Ellis had a major impact on both ends of the floor for Ipswich, featuring as both an impactful offensive talent (20.57ppg) and a physical defensive presence. Ellis was assigned Alex Fowler as her grand final matchup, holding Fowler to her tournament low 14 points – a testament to the defensive performance by Ellis. Falling just short of a grand final victory, Grace walks away with a silver medal and a well-deserved spot in our tournament All-Star 5.

Nerferatali Notoa (Ipswich)

Nerferatali Notoa was another member of the Ipswich Force who had an All-Star 5 worthy tournament. Tali was able to use her length and athleticism to feature as an impact player on both sides of the basketball. A player known for her all-round game, Notoa competed on the defensive end and offered contributions on the offensive end to the tune of 13.57 points per matchup. In a dominant grand final performance, the combination of Ellis and Notoa was nearly enough to upset the tournament favourite Townsville Flames.

Harriet Carey (Townsville)

Harriet Carey features in our All-Star 5, largely due to her impact at the business end of the carnival. Whilst averaging 12.29 points per outing over the tournament, Harriet increased her scoring output in the semi-final and grand final with 24 and 21 points respectively. A player whose impact was more noticeable in person than it was in the box score, Carey stood up with great courage when the Flames needed her the most. With teammate Alex Fowler benched due to foul trouble in the gold medal match, it was Carey who took a stand for the Townsville Flames. Carey delivered All-Star 5 worthy performances in the most important games, resulting in a gold medal and her selection into our tournament All-Star 5.

Tournament MVP – Alex Fowler (Townsville)

Whilst there were plenty of players with incredible performances, it was Alex Fowler who stood out above the rest. Her relentless competitiveness and determination allowed her to maintain her significant impact in every game she played. While her scoring average of 21.43ppg was impressive, it was her impact on the glass which was most dominant. Fowler did it at both ends of the floor and was the clear leader of the eventual tournament champion Townsville Flames. Congratulations to Alex Fowler, our tournament Most Valuable Player.