Success for basketballers
Four Horsham junior basketballers have pooled their talents to triumph in a Champions League Basketball three-on-three competition in Hamilton.
Grace Manserra, Imogen Worthy, Jemma Thomas and Olivia Brilliant tasted success in the under-15 girls division despite three of the players being eligible for under-13s.
Grace’s mother Penelope Manserra said the girls went through the tournament undefeated before drawing in the grand final.
“They had to score two points to win, which they did,” she said.
“It was very exciting. It was the first time the girls had played in a three-onthree competition and they loved it.”
Mrs Manserra said she had spoken with Horsham Amateur Basketball Association president and coach Owen Hughan about running a similiar event in Horsham.
“In three-on-three there is a maximum of four players to a team and they have to coach themselves, calling their own subs and time-outs,” she said. “A two-pointer is worth one point and a three-pointer is worth two points.
“They play for 10 minutes and it’s really intense.”
Mrs Manserra said Hughan’s coaching stood the girls in good stead.
“I was explaining how the three-on-three competition would work to the girls in the car on the way down and they said, ‘oh, we already do all that with Owen’.
They are very lucky to have him as a coach and mentor,” she said. More than 60 teams from across Hamilton, Warrnambool, Portland, Horsham, Melbourne and Adelaide participated in the three-day carnival, in senior, junior and corporate divisions.
“They played music all day and had running commentary,” Mrs Manserra said.
“It had a carnival atmosphere and an American street basketball feel – it was quite exciting.”