New Balance University Basketball League 2026: Round One Wrap-Up 

The 2026 season of the New Balance University Basketball League (UBL) is officially underway, and Round One wasted little time delivering the drama. 

Close finishes and overtime thrillers set the tone for season six as teams began their campaigns, with fourteen games played across three days and three states. 

This year the league also welcomes the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) back after a year away, alongside newcomers Monash University, who begin their UBL journey. 

The season opened at the USYD Sports and Aquatic Centre with The University of Sydney (USYD) hosting the VU Vultures (Victoria University). In the women’s game, USYD was in control of the match to secure a 67-46 victory. VU’s Chelsea Suemai (Bachelor of Midwifery/Bachelor of Nursing) also made her mark on the opening round, sinking the first three-pointer of the 2026 UBL season. The men’s game was a much tighter affair as the VU Vultures applied pressure to Sydney, building a 10-point lead with just three minutes remaining before USYD pushed with a late comeback to claim a 99-97 win. 

The following match-up saw UNSW Sydney take on La Trobe University at the City of Sydney Basketball Association. La Trobe’s women’s side put together a strong performance to defeat the home team 46-93, while UNSW responded in the men’s game with a high-scoring 108-90 victory. 

Over in Tasmania, the University of Tasmania (UTAS) opened their title defence against the Fed Falcons (Federation University) at Hutchins School, Hobart. The defending champions started strongly, with UTAS breaking the 100-point mark in both games as the men secured a 100-84 win before the women followed with a 102-70 victory to complete the double. 

To kick-start an action-packed day two, the AU Waatu (Adelaide University) hosted the UWA Maali (The University of Western Australia) in front of a packed 300-person crowd at Pridham Hall. Adelaide came away with wins in both games, taking the women’s contest 83-61 after a strong opening quarter set the tone for the rest of the game, before securing a 98-83 victory in the men’s game after overcoming a fast start from the UWA Maali. 

The next match-up over at UniSC Arena saw the UniSC Mari (University of the Sunshine Coast) take on the University of Newcastle. Newcastle claimed the men’s result 63-91 after establishing control throughout the contest, while UniSC responded in the women’s game with a 73-61 victory to split the results. 

Back at the Hutchins School in Hobart, UTAS faced UBL newcomers Monash University in the Victorian side’s highly anticipated debut, with the new team immediately handed a tough test against the defending champions. Monash pushed UTAS all the way in the men’s game, but the Tasmanian side held on to claim a narrow 78-75 victory. The women’s game produced one of the biggest results of the opening round, with Monash recording a shock 98-106 win over UTAS in overtime. UTAS’ Sharna Thompson (Bachelor of Education – Primary) was a standout, finishing with an impressive 50 points, but Monash refused to let the game slip away. With the scores locked at 93-all late in the fourth quarter, Monash’s Jessica Del Brocco (Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Science) hit a three-pointer with just one second remaining to force extra time. Monash then finished the job to secure a memorable first-round win in their debut UBL game. 

Round One finished where it began back at the USYD Sports and Aquatic Centre, with USYD taking on UNSW Sydney in a Friday night Sydney Derby. The women’s USYD side completed a strong opening round with a 68-45 win to secure another victory for the week, while the men’s contest went right down to the wire. With neither side able to be separated at the end of the fourth quarter at 93-all, the game headed into overtime, where USYD held on to beat UNSW 94-93 in a nail-biting finish.

After the opening round of the 2026 UBL Season, UTAS sits on top of the men’s leaderboard as the defending champions begin their title defence with two wins. USYD follows in second after their closely fought victories. In the women’s competition, USYD leads the way after two wins, with the 2025 semi-finalists making an early statement. La Trobe sits second following their opening-round victory over UNSW. 

Round Two will see UTS return to the UBL for their first game since 2024, while Curtin University and The University of Melbourne will also begin their 2026 campaigns. 

Catch all the action live and free on  UniSportTV. 

(C) All photographs courtesy of Adelaide University, University of the Sunshine Coast and josquared photography and may not be used without the express permission of either university, UniSport Australia or the photographer.