Singapore, Mar 31: Australia (men and women) completed the doubles again as they won the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup 2025 on March 30.
The men’s side of the tournament culminated with a high-octane battle between Australia and China. Both teams traded blows, with Alex Higgins-Titsha and Hanyu Gyo leading the charge, finishing the game with 11 points each.
The action got more frenetic near the end, with a point separating the sides. With a two-pointer being a potential decider, both teams attempted tough shots, but Australia would be fouled in their shot, putting them on the line. An assessed technical foul offered the Gangurrus 3 free throws, of which they made the first two to seal their repeat at the 3×3 Asia Cup in Singapore. The score read 21-17.
The Australian women secured an incredible three-peat against a crafty Japan with a 21 – 17 victory in the final. The Gangurrus utilised their strength and size to their advantage through Marena Whittle and Alex Wilson to take an early lead, but Japan bounced back through a collective effort. Their ball movement and quick scoring posed an obstacle for the opposition. But it did not last long. The ever-consistent Aussies kept applying pressure and assumed the lead back around the halfway mark and never let up.
Anneli Maley put the finishing touches on a dominant masterclass to cinch a 21 – 17 result and secure a historic gold for Australia.
In the third-place games, New Zealand (men) book-ended their scorching performance from range with another offensive outburst against an equally potent Japan. A close game near the end with both teams finding success from deep, the lights-out Te Tuhi Lewis found Aidan Tonge to close the game in their favour. A 21 – 18 result put the men from New Zealand on the podium with a third-place finish.
On the women’s side, China took care of business against a 3-person squad of the Philippines. Mengyun Zhou and Yuyan Li put up 7 points each in their 21 – 11 victory to secure their spot on the podium.
Australia’s Dillon Stith was an absolute force in the paint for the Aussies. He locked down defensively and battled in the paint on every possession. He came in clutch for the team on numerous occasions, most notably in the semi-final against New Zealand with his 13 points and two clutch shots to seal the game.
He would take home MVP honors and lead the Men’s team of the tournament alongside new Zealand’s Te Tuhi Lewis whose scorching shooting led them to silver and Japan’s Ryo Ozawa who delivered history-making performances in Japan’s journey to Bronze.
For the women, Alex Wilson (Australia) was as versatile as ever, leading her side in scoring with 34 points throughout the tournament. Her effort on both ends of the floor took the Aussies a step above the competition in their three-peat run.
She took home the MVP award and joined the women’s team of the tournament alongside Japan’s Fuyuko Takahashi who led the women’s competition in scoring 39 points and played a huge role in their run to silver and Mengyun Zhou who was the offensive powerhouse for China as they finished with bronze.
India finished in the 6th spot and lost to New Zealand in the quarterfinals.
