Great basketball from boys and girls at LMR

SCHOOL SPORT VICTORIA – LODDON MALLEE REGION

BASKETBALL

Intermediate Boys

The Intermediate Boys Basketball team returned to the Bendigo Stadium for the LMR stage of the competition.

In their first game, the boys played Swan Hill College, showcasing solid defence and teamwork. They dominated the game from start to finish, resulting in a fantastic first-up win 53-20.

The second game against Maryborough Education Centre was yet another dominant performance, with the game pretty much secured in the first three minutes. The boys showed great sportsmanship and allowed the opposition to use the ball with limited pressure. The CMCB boys easily won 77-47.

The match against St Joseph’s College Echuca was the boys’ third consecutive game without a break. St Joseph’s was a well-balanced team and showed some terrific talent. Our starting five took some time to assert their gameplay, with some excellent defensive plays, before slowly building a lead. St Joseph’s never gave up and kept us accountable for the entire match. It was a fantastic game and the boys came away with another solid victory 50-38.

The final game was against St Joseph’s College Mildura. This team was quite athletic and full of enthusiasm. The boys again relied on strong ball pressure and movement to secure the win. Securing the final game with another win 46-30, moved the team through to the State Finals in Melbourne.

This was another great display of confident basketball, good sportsmanship and respect for the game. Well done boys! Thanks to Holly Speed and Maree Pearce for their organisation.

Mr Dave Mitchell

TEAM: Mr David Mitchell (Coach), Gil Neilson, Seamus Doherty, Ryan Brown, Max Connick, Will Petersen, Nicholas Harvey, Jake Schubert, Jake Gribble

Intermediate Girls

The Intermediate Girls Basketball team returned to the Bendigo Stadium for the LMR stage, excitement levels were high!

The first game saw the team take on St Joseph’s College Mildura, who had just endured a five-hour bus trip. At the local tournament, the girls started slowly in most games, so there was a real emphasis on building our energy before the game and taking that on the court. A 20-4 halftime lead demonstrated the girls’ ability to take on that feedback, with captain Mia Harvey leading the way, nailing several early baskets to start the girls on the right foot. The final score was a comfortable 39-22 victory.

The team competed against St Joseph’s College Echuca in Game 2. St Joseph’s had just been defeated by Swan Hill’s St Mary MacKillop College by a point! The girls knew this would be a tough hit-out and St Joseph’s brought the heat early. Our girls rallied back though in what was a physical and defensive affair. This was headlined by our own queen of hustle – Lacey Nihill – who forced many steals and was diving all over the place creating turnovers. Lacey’s efforts were beautifully supported by Charlize Pinder’s physicality in the paint, finishing off some great individual brilliance on multiple occasions. The girls ran out victors 25-16 in a lower-scoring game.

The girls’ final match was against St Mary MacKillop College, Swan Hill, and was the deciding game as the winner would progress through to the State Finals. Reinforcing the theme of the day ‘start with energy’, the girls set themselves for a big opening twelve minutes. MacKillop were up for the fight and the first half was a real arm wrestle. If not for two late Lexie Fennell 3-pointers, the girls would have been even going into halftime. Fortunately, Lexie nailed those baskets from outside the paint and the girls held a 17-11 lead. We knew the first five minutes would be key and the girls rose to the challenge opening up a 15-point lead by our first time-out. They played some smart basketball to finish, running down the clock, and ran out 38-21 victors in what was a well-rounded team performance.

The team has now qualified for the State finals later in November and is very excited to represent the College again! Thanks to Holly Speed and Maree Pearce for their organisation.

Mr Josh Hann

TEAM: Lila Kelly, Rhylee Pollock, Lexie Fennell, Rhylie Jones, Mia Morris, Mr Josh Hann (Coach), Alannah Prowse, Lacey Nihill, Charlize Pinder, Mia Harvey