Basketball’s best recognised

Horsham and Ararat basketballers have won recognition for their outstanding play during the Country Basketball League season.

The league announced the winners of its conference most-valuable player, defensive player of the year, leading scorer, finals MVP and All Star Five awards last week.

Representatives from Ararat Redbacks and Horsham Hornets and Lady Hornets all received awards.

Hornets captain Tim Pickert was rewarded for an outstanding season with his second consecutive CBL conference MVP award.

Pickert led the south-west conference in scoring with 360 points at an average of 21.18 a game and guided the Hornets to a conference-best 14-1 record.

His best game of the season came against Warrnambool in January as he celebrated his 300th game for Horsham, carving up the Seahawks for 41 points.

Pickert was also MVP of the north- west conference last season during Horsham’s one-year stint in the conference.

Lady Hornets Ema Iredell and Georgia Hiscock made the women’s southwest conference All Star Five.

Iredell, like Pickert, led the conference in scoring, with 303 points at an average of 23.31 a game.

Iredell earned her points with repeated trips to the free-throw line. She finished the season with 75-made free throws, 18 more than the next closest player.

Iredell’s 46-point outburst against the Warrnambool Mermaids was the highest score by any woman in the conference this season.

Hiscock averaged 11.87 points a game and was Horsham’s top three-point threat during the season, finishing with 19-made threes and failing to connect on a three-point attempt in only two of her 13 games.

Hiscock was consistently excellent and notched 20-point games twice against Geelong and Portland.

Ararat’s Zac Dunmore made the men’s All Star Five for his outstanding scoring prowess.

Dunmore missed four games due to injury and was not among conference leaders for total points, but was second in average points with 24 a game.

He was also second in the conference for total three-pointers made, with 41.

Dunmore’s individual highpoint of the season came against Colac in November when he exploded for 43 points, including nine made three-pointers.

Dunmore was named Ararat’s MVP during the club’s internal awards night at the weekend.

DJ Woods was MVP runner-up, Jason Cameron most consistent, Baydn Cosgriff most improved, Josh Fiegert picked up the coach’s award and Logan Spark was voted best team-mate.

The club congratulated all award winners and thanked its players for a successful season.