SA Country continued its success in the annual Australian Country Junior basketball Cup played in Albury/Wodonga last week. Highlight of the premier Junior Basketball Event for SA Country was the performances of the three Under 14 Girls’ teams, which finished the Cup in the top three positions.

  Magpies, coached by Grahame Semmens, finished the week undefeated and won the Gold Medal game against SA Sharks, 47-30. Junior Laker, Mikaela Horrigan was a member of the victorious team, while fellow Laker Claire Hunter top scored for the Sharks. The third SA Country team, the Redbacks lost to Sharks by a solitary point for a place in the final, but then easily accounted for New Zealand Weka 50-38 in the playoff for third and fourth. Lakers’ Sarah Nulty, Emily Dawe and Jordy Freeman were members of this team.

The Magpies Under 16 Girls’ team, coached by Millicent’s Basketball Manager Peter Seebohm, finished runner-up in the Bert Bargeus Cup. They were beaten by NSW Waratahs in the Gold Medal game after being undefeated leading into the final.

The Magpies defeated the Waratahs 65-60 in the opening round but a standout 35 point performance by Isabelle Palmer, led the Waratahs to a 66-57 turn around result. Junior Lakers Jordy Adams, Molly Watson, Bella Stratford and first year Waiata Jennings were strong contributors in the Magpies’ line-up.

Madisyn Freeman of Mount Gambier was a member of the SA Sharks’ Under 16 team, which finished second with a 4/1 record. They lost the qualifying final 55-64 to Vic. Bushrangers and then finished on a winning note by defeating Tasmania Possums 61-29.

The six Mount Gambier Under 14 Boys all performed well and made pleasing progress over the week. Junior Laker Lewis Stratford, a member of the SA Magpies, recorded a 4/3 win/loss result then lost their play-off game 63-64 to NZ Korus.

Mount Gambier’s Oliver Thomson in the Sharks’ team, had a big week, losing just one game of their six to winner, NSW Kookaburras, but then went down to Vic. Goldminers 48-68 in a playoff fixture. Junior Lakers quartet of Jaidyn Lawrence, Oscar Adams, Craig Nathan and Darcy Lillecrapp were members of the Redbacks team, which finished with a 4/3 result and concluded the week with a win against NSW Waratahs 44-40.

Mitchell Hunter played well throughout the week for the Under 16 Sharks, who won 2 of their 5 games. They won the Qualifying Final, 81-61 against the Magpies, but lost the Semi-final to the Bushrangers. They however rebounded to defeat NSW Kookaburras 48-25 in their playoff game.

The Sharks and Magpies Under 18 Women’s teams both had a 4/3 record at the end of the minor round. The Sharks, in third place, were unlucky not to snare a final berth, losing to Vic. Bushrangers 94-96 in extra time. Brenna Mckay and Tenille Gray were starters in the Sharks line-up.

Lauren Ross, in the fifth placed Magpies team, impressed in her first year of Under 18 competition.  Both teams lost their play-off games, Sharks to Goldminers 53-58 and Magpies 47-68 to Kookaburras.

The SA Country Under 18 Men’s teams bowed out of finals action in the Qualifying Finals after the Magpies finished second and the Sharks fourth. Magpies lost narrowly to Tasmania Devils 60-65 while Kookaburras accounted for Sharks 69-51. The teams won their Play-offs, Magpies defeated Bushrangers 84-80 and NZ Korus 53-50. Sharks defeated Albury/Wodonga 100-42 and NZ Kea 37-36. Lachlan Hunter and Emmerson White were members of the Sharks while Kurt Rodis, Josh Levison and Zach deWit suited up for the Magpies team.

Overall the Junior Lakers played well throughout the week of the Cup with the younger group showing obvious improvement from day to day.              

Mount Gambier referee, Danika Jolley earned the honour of umpiring the Under 18 Women’s Gold Medal game. She had an outstanding week and this appointment was a just reward for her efforts and commitment.

Administrators Sharon Venn and Beth Serle were awarded Life Membership of the Country Cup at the Closing Ceremony on Saturday.