In round 6 of the Central Australian Basketball League the Eastern Mavericks hosted the Sturt Sabres. Sturt’s women came to Mt Barker undefeated with a 5-0 record but the Mavericks 49 per cent Field Goal efficiency and defensive pressure handed the Sabres their first loss of the season 95-79.

The Eastern Mavericks welcomed back their two “talls” in Samantha Lubcke and Jemma Thacker for this important match. However it was once again Maverick Tess Madgen who lit up the court in the first quarter, totalling 15 points, while Sturt’s Amy Shaw did the damage with 9 at the other end.

Shannon Tarran put the first points of the game on the board for the Mavs before Sturt took the momentum, building a six point lead at the 4 minute mark. Amanda MacDermot created an opportunity when she was blocked hard on a drive, in-bounding the ball from the baseline to Madgen who drilled a three-pointer.

The two teams then traded baskets with Sturt’s Amy Shaw knocking down her first three pointer and Tess Madgen quickly replying with another of her own for. Madison Bycroft and Jemma Thacker added 2 points each before Madgen scored again, banking one in from down town as the Mavericks bench counted out the final seconds of the shot clock. Tess Madgen closed out the term with another 2 points to tie the game at 21 apiece at the first quarter break.

Eastern blew Sturt away in the second quarter, out-scoring their opponents by 19 points and leading them in field goal and free throw percentages, as well as three pointers, rebounds, steals and assists.

The Mavericks opened the term with 4 unanswered points each to Madgen and co-captain Tenille Searl. Thacker and Lubcke combined for a further 9 points, and half way through the quarter they had added 17 points to Sturts 3.

In the final 5 minutes of the half, Sturt’s defence seemed to part for Shannon Tarran, she was moving into the key with ease and collecting points as her teammates fed her the ball. Madgen was tearing the defence apart too. She drove hard frequently and when she didn’t find herself with an open shot, she had drawn enough defenders to create an easy dish off for the assist.

Sturt’s Molly Lewis tried to keep her team in contact, adding 6 of their 13 points in the last 2 minutes. The Mav’s kept their foot on the pedal in the third quarter, taking another 30+ point quarter with 9 to Tarran, 6 to MacDermot and a couple from Searl and Thacker. Madgen added another 11 to her tally after converting all 4 free throws awarded when Sturt’s coach Marcus Wong was ejected from the stadium with double tech fouls.

After three solid quarters, the Eastern Mavericks needed 16 points to crack the century for the second time this season. However, they found themselves 3 key players down with Thacker (9 points), MacDermot (8 points) and Searl (7 points) all fouling out and ended up 5 points shy scoring 95 for the game.

Sturt picked up their intensity, winning the final quarter 24-11 with Amy Shaw finishing with 23 points, Hannah Bowley on 16 and Molly Lewis with 15.

For the Mavericks, Tess Madgen notched up her first triple-double of the season with 39 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. Her family, long time Mavericks supporters and contributors, including; Ben Madgen, of the Sydney Kings (who was recently named in the Australian Boomers squad that will take on China) and Jack Madgen (back on break from his studies and college ball with Delta State University in America) watched on from the crowd. Shannon Tarran was only 1 rebound away from a double-double for the second time this season but put away an impressive 22 points.

With a 4 game winning streak the Eastern Mavericks now sit equal second with Sturt on the ladder, below the unbeaten Norwood Flames.

Eastern Mavericks 95 (Tess Madgen 39, Shannon Tarran 22, Jemma Thacker 9)
Sturt Sabres 79 (Amy Shaw 24, Hannah Bowley 16, Molly Lewis 15)

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By Lachlan Eggers