Meg wins coveted title
Korumburra Wildcats basketballer Meg Cooper of Warragul was part of the team which last week won the division one Victorian State Country Basketball Championships, staking a claim as the best girls under 16 team in country Victoria.
Basketball players from across country Victoria, in the under 16 and 18 age groups played in Bendigo last month for the annual Victoria State Country Championship. It was an incredible two days of elite basketball with the best and brightest, representing their local associations, displaying their talents and competing for the coveted title.
The championship win entitles Meg and her Korumburra Team to an invitation to the National Junior Classic to be held later this year where they will come up against the best teams from across Australia.
The Wildcats won all three games on the first day of competition to secure a place in the division one finals on day two. A loss in these earlier games would have seen them relegated to second division, so it was important to win all three games on the first day.
They outplayed Wodonga Wolves in the quarter final to proceed to a semi-final match up against one of the tournament favourites in the Bendigo Braves. The game against Bendigo was hard fought against a much bigger and physical side, with Korumburra behind on the scoreboard going into the last quarter. However, with a never give up attitude, they rallied in the final seconds to win by three points.
“Getting through to the grand final of division one was just an amazing feeling. I think we all had a belief that we could do it against some of these teams from far bigger towns like Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo. But to actually make the grand final and actually do it and get there was just incredible,” Meg said.
They played the Ballarat Miners in the grand final in what proved to be an even contest, with the teams inseparable throughout the game. With the scores level at 45 each with 90 seconds left in the game, Korumburra took the lead by two points. They quickly followed with another two points, putting them in front 49 to 45 with seconds to go.
Despite a last-ditch effort by Ballarat in the final seconds, Korumburra held on to clinch victory in what can best be described as an incredibly exciting and well-played game, which was conducted in a spirit that was a credit to all players and coaches of both sides.
Meg credits her team's success to a combination of things, but most importantly team work.
“We just work really well together, we're all really good mates and just love playing together and being there for each other and that comes through in the way we play.”
Meg also credited coaches Chloe and Macey for their hard work and coaching skills.
Meg has recently earned selection into the Basketball Victoria State Development Program, a high performance pathway focused on developing top level junior talent in the state. The opportunity to further develop her skills in this elite environment and take her basketball to the next level is a challenge she is excited about.