St Margaret Mary’s notch up title goal
ST MARGARET Mary’s College has won this year’s Champion Basketball School of Queensland competition with a 56- 47 grand final win over Cairns State High School.
It was a double win for Townsville schools at the annual championships, with Townsville State High School winning the Division 2 title.
Townsville High beat Moreton Bay by 20 points in their grand final, cementing Townsville’s reputation as a growing force of Queensland junior basketball.
St Margaret Mary’s finished top of their pool and beat Canterbury Col- lege, Brisbane, 77- 61 in the Division 1 semi- finals before taking on Cairns High in the decider.
Cairns traded baskets with St Margaret Mary’s during a tight opening quarter but St Margaret Mary’s were able to capitalise on turnovers and gradually gain ascendancy.
Cairns did their best to launch a late fightback, but St Margaret Mary’s held firm to win their first Queensland schoolgirls title since 1979.
“It’s been a three- year goal for us, and many of these girls have played together in the same side since Grades 8 and 9,” St Margaret Mary’s team manager Matt Arnold said.
“To win our first state title since 1979 was a huge motivator, we had a good talk about it before the tournament.
“So to finish on top of our pool was a huge confidence booster, and then we came against Canterbury who I think gave us our toughest game.
“They were an excellent team and we had to work very hard to get that win.
“Then to take on Cairns in an allNorth Queensland grand final, that was a big moment for basketball up here.
“Cairns knocked off some very good teams and in the semi- finals they beat Brisbane State High, who are also one of the favourites.”
The grand final win also put paid to St Margaret Mary’s heartbreaking semi- finals exit at the hands of Brisbane High during last year’s tournament, which saw Brisbane score a winning basket on the buzzer.
Arnold heaped praise on team coach Alison Ward for moulding together a championship winning team.
“The work Alison has put in … has been incredible,” he said.
Townsville High coach Trish Cockrem said her team deserved to be proud of their effort.
“We ran into some great schools like Marsden High and Palm Beach Currumbin, so to get a good win at the end was very rewarding,” she said.