Basketball Mount Gambier’s Senior Winter basketball competition, the South East Coast Basketball League, concluded last Wednesday night with the playing of the Grand Finals.

Roos Women and Bulldogs Men are the 2015 Premiers.

It is interesting to note that both teams finished second after the completion of the regulation season and both went on to win back to back titles.

Minor premier the Millicent Saints opened the Women’s final on a 3 point score from Olivia Fuller and challenged Roos early. A 19-6 second quarter led by Malinda Markiewicz and Ashlee Kalantarian set up the repeat premiership for Roos. Saints Jess Allan’s managed to close the margin to 9 just before three quarter time only to see Roos finish well for final scores of 56-36. Top scorers for Roos were Malinda Markiewicz 22, Lauren Ross 12 and Ashlee Kalantarian 8. Consistent contributor Olivia Fuller led the scoring for Saints with 11, while Maddi Turner and Annabel Brooks finished with 7 apiece. State junior Lauren Ross was named the MVP for the grand final.

The return of on court leader, Simon Berkefeld, saw Bulldogs Men easily account for Panthers-Wizards 77-53. Berkefeld was seen at his best when the game was up for grabs in the third quarter. Bulldogs led by just 2 points at half-time, 27-25. The second half took on a vastly different look as it became the Simon show. He scored 16 points in the team’s 26-10 quarter to set up the winter premiership for Bulldogs.

 He finished with a game high 23 points and Stephen Sochacki chipped in for 19. State junior Lachlan Hunter proved a handful for Wizards inside late in the game for a personal tally of 12. Hard working Michael Stephens led the scoring for Wizards with 14 points while Brad Rathjen had 13.

Simon Berkefeld was named MVP for the Final.

MVP AWARDS.

Chris Mason a key player for Wizards won his second prestigious MVP Award for the season. Cougars’ dynamo Kane deWit was runner-up.

Brad Rathjen capped off his junior years in basketball with an impressive win in the Bill Cook Memorial Trophy, which goes to the junior scoring most votes in the SECBL. This is his second consecutive win in this Award and follows up his recent outstanding performances in the national championships when he captained SA Country, in the Invitation Camp in China and his telling minutes for the Pioneers when Tom Daly was injured.

Mason recorded 24 votes in the MVP count, Kane deWit 21 and Matt Berkefeld 20.

It was a big night for Roos’ Rachael Hines too. She also moves out of junior ranks.

In 2015 she played crucial roles in Roos’ summer and winter premierships, and was a member of the SA Country Under 18 team which won silver medals at the Nationals in April.

On Wednesday night she scooped the pool in the individual awards, winning the 2015 Winter Season MVP and the Sally -Jane Allen/Trisha Flett Perpetual Trophy Junior Award.

Hines recorded 25 votes from joint runners-up Olivia Fuller and Panthers’ Brenna McKay on 20 votes. Lauren Ross gained 18 votes and Tenille Gray of Cougars 13.