XAVIER High School’s girls’ basketball team became Australian champions at the National Schools Basketball Tournament in Newcastle yesterday.
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Desperate to atone for last year’s near miss, Xavier made its way to the gold medal play-off undefeated and overcame late foul trouble to defeat South Australia’s Unley High School in the grand final.
But the Border team didn’t get things all its own way over the carnival with an early defeat on the cards in its opening pool match.
Playing Western Australia’s Willetton Senior High, Xavier was trailing for all but the last 95 seconds of the match when it rallied to storm home to a 65-62 win.
The second match was against Launceston College and the girls got into an early rhythm and cruised to a 73-59 victory.
Game three was the highly anticipated 2007 grand final rematch with Queensland’s John Paul College.
The Brisbane side narrowly defeated Xavier in last year’s gold medal match with a team that included two players who went on to play WNBL basketball.
But this time it was the Albury school that prevailed, recording a comprehensive 60-72 win to remain at the top of its pool.
The semi-final clash with Brigidine College became something of a non-event with the NSW school’s star player suffering an injury in a previous match.
Xavier capitalised while giving everyone valuable game time in claiming an 84-51 win securing a grand final berth.
Unley also came into the grand final undefeated but Xavier made the most of its experience and bounded to an early seven-point lead.
That margin was maintained for the rest of the match and even went as far 14 points in front before a late hiccup in the final quarter.
Emma Mahady, Xavier’s tallest player, was fouled out, leaving the Border girls short and giving the opposition a sniff.
Unley pounced and moved within three points of the lead with four minutes remaining before the SA team suffered a pivotal send-off of its own.
Xavier dealt with the pressure better and strolled away to a comfortable 71-54 victory.
Coach Dale Gleeson said it was an exceptional performance.
“These girls have been setting themselves up for success for four years and after last year’s loss they deserve their win,” he said.
The team consisted of Alex Duck; April Lampe, Ellie Gleeson, Akina Inthachack, Tahnee Cannan, Emma Mahady, Tegan Vogel, Laura Hill, Jess Ward and Sophie Robertson.
Xavier is likely to be a force next year with star Lady Bandit Alex Duck the only player not to return.
