Mainfreight Match of the Day Daily Wrap: Basketball 

Day two of Mainfreight Match of the Day at the 2026 UniSport Nationals took place at Bendat Basketball Centre, with two basketball games bringing plenty of excitement. 

The women’s game tipped off first, with La Trobe University taking on Griffith University, followed by the men’s match between the University of Tasmania (UTAS) and RMIT University. 

Both La Trobe and UTAS have teams in the New Balance University Basketball League (UBL), with La Trobe’s women’s team winning back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 and UTAS’ men’s team the defending champions. Their recent UBL success added to the anticipation surrounding their respective fixtures. 

With live coverage produced by Edith Cowan University (ECU) media and journalism students, the intensity on court was mirrored in the stands, where passionate chants and student support created an electric atmosphere throughout the stadium. 

The women’s Mainfreight Match of the Day featured La Trobe and Griffith, who entered the game with identical 1-2 win-loss records. 

The game started quickly, with several jump balls reflecting the defensive pressure applied by both teams. La Trobe found early success through free-flowing ball movement around the perimeter. 

The ECU commentary team highlighted La Trobe’s full-court press as a unique approach early in the game, but one that was “clearly working for them on the scoreboard”, as La Trobe took a 21-13 lead at the end of the second quarter. 

The teams returned for the third quarter to an enthusiastic half-time chant-off, with La Trobe scoring the first three-pointer of the quarter within 20 seconds of play resuming. 

Both teams made adjustments to their offensive and defensive strategies, looking to shift the momentum. The commentary team highlighted Griffith’s point guard #5, who took control of the offence and was described as “very strong today in her shots”. 

Heading into the final quarter, La Trobe held a 40-22 lead, with the commentary team noting that their “size against Griffith really helped them dominate especially the offensive rebounds”. 

La Trobe maintained control through the fourth quarter, finishing with a 56-24 victory. 

One La Trobe supporter praised the women’s talent, saying they “played hard and did a really good job defensively”. 

The role of team support was also evident throughout the game. One La Trobe player said, “When they bring up the energy, we play harder and play better!” 

After the win, La Trobe captain Sarah Carr said the team was pleased to return to winning form. 

“It feels really good to be back in the winner’s column after a tough loss this morning. The girls had to bring a lot of energy into this game, and it was good to get the result that we wanted.” 

“We have a pretty new team so we’re finally starting to learn how to play together, and hopefully we can get some more wins towards the end of the week with finals coming up.” 

The men’s game saw UTAS take on the RMIT Redbacks in another anticipated contest. 

UTAS captain Jordan Straastma said ahead of the game that his team were going to “play their heart out and do what we can to win”. 

The first quarter opened with strong defence from both sides, with the keyways quickly becoming congested as the teams looked to limit scoring opportunities. Within the opening five minutes, each team had sunk a three-pointer, setting the tone for a competitive game. 

RMIT began the second quarter leading 18-14, but UTAS quickly shifted the momentum, scoring two three-pointers in the opening two minutes. The quarter featured quick responses and end-to-end basketball, with UTAS creating space and displaying strong shot selection to take a 32-23 lead into half-time. 

ECU commentator Xander Vinci highlighted UTAS player #22 as his standout player of the first half. 

“He’s been really getting them going so far, especially on the offensive side of the ball, really driving in and penetrating the defence really good.” 

RMIT returned from half time with renewed energy, tying the score at 36-all within four minutes. They continued their comeback to close out the third quarter with a 46-41 lead, putting UTAS on notice. 

Momentum shifted throughout the game, with commentators noting that RMIT came out quickly and looked to attack in the first and third quarters, while UTAS responded in the second and fourth. With neither side able to establish a decisive advantage, the game remained anyone’s to win. 

The final quarter opened with strong defensive blocks and rebounds. With eight seconds remaining, RMIT’s #7 hit a three-pointer to bring the score to 58-57 in UTAS’ favour. UTAS extended its lead to three points, prompting RMIT to call a timeout. With the game on the line, RMIT’s #6 then sank a buzzer-beating three-pointer to level the score at 60-all. 

Reflecting on the draw, RMIT captain Emmett Kelly-Vaccaro described the game as close throughout, with the atmosphere adding to the occasion. While the finish was nerve-wracking, he was proud of how his teammates responded, particularly Domenico Constantinou and Ryan Pritchard, who hit important shots. 

“When I saw the ball go in, I was just yelling and jumping, it was unreal,” he said. 

Although a draw was not the result the team had hoped for, Emmett said it was still a memorable way to finish the game. 

“It’s an unreal feeling, obviously a draw’s not great but it was still a good ending to a game.” 

The Basketball Mainfreight Match of the Day is available for replay on UniSportTV.  

Mainfreight Match of the Day continues with Rugby 7s on Wednesday 30 September at UWA Sports Park.  

Big Games. Big Crowds. Big Energy. Watch Mainfreight Match of the Day LIVE and FREE on UniSportTV. 

2026 Mainfreight Match of the Day Fixtures