Date: Wed, May 26, 2010
Junior Miners Qualify for Championship Division
The 2010 VJBL’s mid season split has taken place over the weekend with four Ballarat Miners Junior squads qualifying in the top division. The split takes place in the middle of the season and aims to group the best teams from each division into one.
The top 5 teams from each of the two divisions, Ashe and Watson, move through to the Championship division to slug it out for the remainder of the season.
The U14 girls, U16 girls, U18 girls and U18 boys all qualified for the top division after recording victories on Friday night.
The under 14 girls defeated Dandenong by 13 points after making the long trip to Melbourne. Ballarat took control from the beginning as they capitalised on the opportunities they received. The Rangers hit back early in the third quarter after Ballarat had stretched the lead out to as much as 10 points.
After leading the home side by 5 at the three quarter time break, the Miners were able to extend their lead with some aggressive offence. Their fast paced game saw them take the win by 13 points.
Coach Jill Appleton said “tonight was probably the best game we have played as a team all season. Each of the girls gave 100% when they hit the court.”
This now sees the under 14 girls also qualify for the Australian National Championships that will be held in Tasmania later this year.
The under 16 girls matched up against a much weaker Craigieburn side at the Minerdome. After an aggressive start to the game, Ballarat were able to build a 23 point lead going into half time. However, the second half saw a different Ballarat side step onto the floor as they struggled at both ends. In a much more lethargic half of basketball the Miners were only able to outscore Craigieburn by 5, winning the match by 28 in the end.
“We have now qualified for the Championship division and will hopefully see the girls come to play hard and with intensity week in week out” said Coach Glenn White.
The under 18 girls managed an 8 point win over Dandenong’s second team. This was a must win game for the up and down Miners team and with the absence of guard Jane Douglas it proved to be a tough one.
Ballarat controlled the tempo for the majority of the game. However, a last ditch effort from Dandenong saw them cut the margin back to only eight points at the final buzzer. Ella Burton continued to cause trouble for her opponent with her aggression on offense.
The under 18 boys continued to show their class as they recorded yet another victory over Werribee. For the first few minutes the game was a bit flat, with both teams looking sluggish. Ballarat found their legs first and with Grover, McMaster and Downie controlling the boards were able to generate easy baskets. They continued their dominance throughout the game and recorded a 24 point win.
“It was another solid team effort that started at the defensive end. Our bench players provided great support again and we’re starting to work harder and more consistently over four quarters” Coach DJ Sutton said.
The under 16 boys and 14 boys also played on Friday against Sandringham 3 and Broadmeadows.
The under 16 boys matched up against Sandringham 3 in a fourth versus eighth game. From the opening tip Ballarat took control of the match. Offensively they were able to create scoring opportunities through strong cuts to the basket and quality passing. However this was not enough as Sandringham found their range from outside the three point arch, their accurate shooting giving them a 7 point lead at half time.
In the second term Ballarat extended their defensive pressure and began to reap the rewards. Within 4 minutes, the half time deficit was no longer. As the lead changed hands throughout the second half, neither team was able to break away. Mitch Gilbert had the chance to hit his second match winner for the season but unfortunately it fell short.
The final score seeing both teams tied at 48 apiece.
“I feel like this was a game that we let slip through our hands. It just goes to show that playing 35 minutes isn’t good enough – you need to compete for the full 40” said a disappointed Coach Darren Thomas.
In the meantime the under 14 boys were able to defeat Broadmeadows by 7 points.
Top scorers:
Under 14 girls
- Morgan Muir 14
- Emily Brugman 13
- Tegan Avery and Kayla Mallet 8
Under 16 Girls
- Emma Hills 16
- Molly Mathews 14
- Claire Constable 12
Under 18 boys
- Ash Constable 14
- Josh Grover 12
- Jarrod Fryar 11
- Tom Downie 11
Full VJBL draws, ladders and results available at sportingpulse
