Just two weeks after playing a role in his beloved Wollongong Roller Hawks becoming national champions, Luke Pople is now a Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
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Australia's men's wheelchair basketball side claimed the first ever 3x3 basketball gold at a Comm Games on Wednesday morning (AEDT) after surviving a thriller by 11-9 against Canada in Birmingham. In a pulsating affair, Canada had an opportunity to take the game into extra time with the buzzer-beater, but the shot hit the rim and bounced away.
It capped off an exciting 24 hours for the Wombats, who also survived a thriller against England in the semi-final, with Lachlin Dalton producing the match-winner on that occasion in extra time.
Wednesday's victory continues a rich vein of success for Pople, who was part of the Roller Hawks outfit that secured the National Wheelchair Basketball League championship on July 17. Wollongong defended the title they won in 2019 - with COVID cancelling their last two campaigns - with a 75-66 victory in the grand final against Perth Wheelcats.
Meanwhile, fellow Roller Hawks player Hannah Dodd also collected a medal on Wednesday morning, with the Aussies clinching the silver after falling 14-5 to Canada in the final.
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