Magical performance

The Millicent Magic Under 18 girls have returned home from the weekend’s SA Country Basketball Championships with the Division 1 title, dominating the competition and capping off the weekend with an emphatic 49 point victory over Strathalbyn.

Millicent opened the weekend with a 53-24 victory over Whyalla, with Mackenzie Burke leading the scoring with a game high 18 points.

Piper Paul was the other main contributor on the scoreboard with 11 points.

It was the Barossa Valley in Round two, with Burke again leading allcomers on the scoreboard with 18m points, while Emily Denton chipped in with nine points as the Magic went two-from-two with a 14 point victory.

Long time rival, the Riverland, was next on the agenda and on the back of a 20 point game from Ashlee Dean and Burke again shining with a 17 point game, the Magic entered the finals with an unblemished record with a 49-36 victory.

There was a real spread of scoring in the quarter final against Eastern Hills in what was a low scoring affair – Magic advancing to the semi final, 37-16.

Mylee Lynch (10) was the only player in double figures as Burke (7); Paul (5) and Denton (5) finding their way to the basket.

Great Southern ten stood between Millicent and a grand final berth and it was Paul (16) leading the way with Dean (13) and Lynch (13) also hitting the scoreboard regularly to help secure the comfortable 24 point win, 57-33.

Strathalbyn was no match for Millicent in the title decider, with no Strathalbyn player finding their way into double figures as the Magic dominated the final from go-to-whoa, never taking their foot off the pedal as they powered to a 76-27 victory.

Burke (25) proved unstoppable, while Paul 921) and Dean (14) also dominated the scoring.

Darren Dean coached the talented young line-up to victory.

Millicent may well have expected to play Mount Gambier in the title decider but the Lakers fell narrowly, by three points, to Strathalbyn, improving on their 11 point loss to the Storm in the minor round.

Coached by Melissa Russell, Claire Mitchell, Maggie Collins and Shayden Russell all put up 16 points in the tense semi final but they just couldn’t stop the Storm’s Daisy Hocking (29) and Holly Grant (25).

It was still a strong weekend from the Lakers, though, recovering from an opening round three point loss to Southern Hills to defeat Eastern Hills by 30 before that 11 point loss to Strathalbyn and then the three point quarter final victory over the Riverland.

Russell (15) and Claire Mitchell (12) were the main scorers in the quarter final.

The Lakers Under 18 Division 3 Men’s team finished runner up.