St Margaret Mary’s seize national title
ST Margaret Mary’s College have won the Basketball Australia Schoolgirls Championship title with a thrilling 61- 58 grand final win over Canberra’s Lake Ginninderra.
Chailee Ward sunk two late freethrows to seal the prestigious title, which the Townsville secondary school won for the first time in 40 years.
Trailing 45- 37 going into the final quarter yesterday, St Margaret Mary’s surged home to outscore the Lakers 24 points to 13.
St Margaret’s captain Majella Carey topscored for her school with 16 points, while Australian under- 16 representative Alex Fowler contributed 15 and Harriet Carey 10.
St Margaret’s led for most of the opening two quarters but trailed Lakers by four points at halftime, and looked in danger of being overwhelmed towards the end of the third term.
But St Margaret’s pulled together when it counted.
“We’ve had the same team for the last four years and we’re a really tight- knit group, and I think that’s what got us over the line today,” Carey said.
“It’s incredible to think that we’ve won a national title. I couldn’t be any more prouder to be part of this team.”
Fowler, who also pulled down 21 rebounds, said the achievement was perhaps the best of her emerging career.
“Each year we’ve been putting in a lot of work, and improving all the time,” she said.
“There was always that belief we could do it, especially after winning the state title earlier this year, but you just never know.
“It’s just amazing really did it.”
The Lakers, who feature a number of AIS scholarship players, made St Margaret’s work for every point and were led by game topscorer Jasmine Simmons ( 23 points, 10 rebounds) and Taylor Mole ( 21).
St Margaret’s went through the Melbourne- based championships undefeated after surging through the pool stages with big wins over Monte Sant Angelo College ( 98- 49), Kennedy Baptist College ( 105- 67) and Bendigo Senior College ( 106- 62).
They entered the final after beating Willetton State High School ( Perth) 62- 48 in a tough semi- final.
“I think that game was so important for us,” said St Margaret’s coach Mike St- Maurice, who filled in for head coach Alison Ward.
“In the other games we were always leading comfortably, but it was good to have a bit of pressure put on us, and it was a reminder that whoever we were facing in the final were going to leave nothing on the line.”
St- Maurice said the champions deserved to be proud of their achievement.
“Everyone here was jumping around; our parents, supporters — just everyone,” he said. “It’s huge for them and the school, and I was honoured to be asked to coach this team.
“We were a bit nervous near the end of the third ( quarter), but the girls dug in.”
St Margaret Mary’s principal Kathy Park said the school community would celebrate the team’s historic win.
“It was a goal we set for ourselves for a while, so to see it come to fruition is incredible,” she said. “Everyone at the school and also the whole Townsville community should be proud to be a part of it.” that we