Sunshine Coast Basketballer, Josh Truscott helps bring home NCSSA Gold for Queensland!

During a cold and wet week at South Australia’s Morphettville indoor sports stadium Josh and his fellow Queenslanders pulled off a rags to riches playoff series to take the National title from the highly fancied Victorian team. Josh a stalwart Clippers junior studying year 12 at Suncoast Christian College said “the team really came together”( during the tournament) expressing how much the playing group worked for each other even when things looked pretty grim.

The Queensland Open Christian Schools Boys Team suffered defeats in the qualifying rounds to South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, slumping to 4^th place just scraping into the finals series. With nothing to lose and still hope of the unlikely; Queensland found News South Wale’s offense wanting, with a convincing man to man defensive shut out, to defeat last year’s Champions in the sudden death final. Thus advancing Queensland to the preliminary final against South Australia, who up until their playoff match against Victoria had been undefeated.

With the home crowd behind them and a dominant 11 from 13 three point master class against Queensland in their previous encounter, South Australia came out hard hoping to secure another shot at Victoria in the Grand Final. Queensland continued their aggressive defence and controlled the offensive paint to strangle the fight out of South Australia, winning by 19 points.

With a belief that the Queenslanders could finally overcome their arch rivals Victoria who had dominated the other age competitions to take out the 15 Girls, 15 Boys and Open Girls titles, the tip off signalled an all or nothing encounter, with Queensland the last chance of preventing a Victorian clean sweep. Queensland through 2 three point baskets in the last minute before the break thanks to their 6’8 Centre, Jarrod Gamble of the Gold Coast Breakers went to half time up by 5 points. The second half was a low scoring affair with Queensland relentless in their defence and patient in offense. With five minutes to go and up by 9 points remarkably mature heads controlled the tempo of the game to ensure Victoria did not get back into the final. Victoria was unable to close the gap going down by 10 points.

Not to be out done younger sibling Elliot Truscott studying year 10 at Nambour Christian College took out the NCSSA 15 boys 3 point shoot out title. Netting 5 from the regulation 10 three point shots in the final, Elliot drew with South Australia’s sharp shooter Ben Mrowka to force a sudden death shoot out. Elliot lost the toss and had to shoot first burying his 3 point attempt from the top of the keyway. The pressure got to the South Australian who missed his shot to hand the National title to Elliot.

The Truscott boys will now turn their attention to the upcoming representative season playing for the Clippers who have just commenced their 2011 /2012 representative try outs. All interested players can contact the stadium on 54 448877.