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Moments after Centralia’s matchup with Modbury, Australia, on Friday night, the two teams exchanged gifts and lined up for a team photo.
The final score — Modbury 70, Centralia 37 — meant next to nothing in the moment.
Instead, the group photo represented not just this past week, but over a decade of camaraderie with the suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.
“It’s a beautiful thing seeing sports connect people from all over the world,” Centralia Athletic Director Tim Ahern said. “The impact it has is so much bigger than basketball.”
Friday’s meeting between the two teams was the seventh since 2010, when it was established thanks to the help of former Centralia President and Athletic Director Josh Lowe. Over the course of the 2010s, the two teams met every two years until COVID-19 caused a brief hiatus.
Modbury returned to Centralia in 2023 and again on Friday as part of their 2025 USA Basketball Tour, which will also include stops in Oregon and California over the next two weeks.
Ashley Trueman has been Modbury’s coach over the past 15 years, and he took a moment to thank the Centralia crowd after the game.
“On behalf of the Modbury students and staff, from the bottom of my heart, I wanted to thank the Centralia school and community for being amazing hosts, and welcoming us into your school and your homes,” Trueman said to the crowd. “You all make this experience for us an incredible one … The friendship and the hospitality from all of you will be remembered forever.”
Trueman also acknowledged that the outcome of the game meant little in the grand scheme of things, but it’s safe to assume he liked what he saw during the 32 minutes.
Modbury came out of the gate swinging, hitting three three-pointers in the first two minutes to take a 9-0 lead. By the end of the first, the Australians led 24-10. They added another 19 points in the second quarter and led by 20 going into the break.
“They’re athletic,” Centralia coach Jordan Thomas said. “They had a good team and a good offense. They made good decisions, and we had a hard time getting help from the weak side.”
Offensively, the Tigers were able to connect on four threes to keep things within striking distance, but they only scored 14 points in the second half.
“We have to know what we’re looking for,” Thomas said, while noting he did like what he saw when the ball went through the post. “I would have loved to get the ball in there more.”
Thomas also said that it was fun to play against a team that plays a different style of basketball, and he said it was fun to talk with Trueman, his assistants, and the players throughout the week.
The group photo wasn’t the only one postgame. There were plenty of others, including one Ahern took with his family and four Modbury players that they have been hosting throughout the week.
They’ll host them through the weekend, including after their matchup against Tenino in Centralia on Saturday, before they head south next week.
“It’s just a really incredible thing to see people from across the world, and the common bond is the simple game of basketball,” Ahern said. “You’re creating lifelong connections over the course of the week, and it’s really a special thing to be a part of.”
