Chargers host first ever CBL game

HISTORY was made on the Surf Coast Saturday night as the Surf Coast Chargers women’s team hosted its first ever Country Basketball League (CBL) home game against the Mt Gambier Lakers.

Unfortunately for the Chargers, they could not upset the undefeated Lakers going down 49 to 79 on their home court after a slow start to the game.

The Chargers fell behind to Mt Gambier 4-18 at the conclusion of the first quarter and were unable to make up the deficit from that point on.

Surf Coast put up valiant efforts in the middle quarters, being outscored by only two points (32 to 34) in the second and third terms, before being blown out of the water in the fourth 13-27 to eventually fall by 30 points.

The Chargers are yet to find their first win of the season, but head coach Courtney Thompson is still pleased to see the team rapidly developing each and every week.
“We’re definitely getting better,” Thompson said.

“We are really starting to knuckle down on our offences and defensively we are starting to find those one per centers that can really change a game, things like boxing out and pushing the ball in transition.”

Thompson said the level of play in the CBL is a big jump for a lot of the younger girls in her side, however, the performances they are having would suggest they are adjusting nicely.

Sienna McCumber, one of the youngest members on the roster at 13 years of age, led the side in scoring Saturday with 15 points.

Her mother, Melanie Jackson, accounted for 10 points of her own on the day as the next highest contributor.

The night itself meant a lot to the coach according to Thompson, given the journey she had gone through in forming her side.

“When I was first appointed coach, I arrived at the first training session and there were only four players there, and I didn’t know how I was going to make a team in two weeks,” Thompson said.

“But we managed to find a group of about 15 women that wanted to get together to play, and we’ve been training hard ever since.

“So, it was just a great way to cap off the hard work in front of our friends and family as well as wear the Chargers uniforms on Saturday.”

The Chargers begin Round 3 action when they face the Portland Coasters again at Wurdi Baierr Stadium.