Round 5 Basketball Report

From the Captain

1sts

On Saturday, Waverley’s 1^st V Basketball had a tough matchup against Barker, coming short with the final score, 67 to 75. The game was back and forth right from the tip-off with Barker coming into the second quarter up by five points. The 1^st V was able to fight back and gain a four-point lead by the end of the first half, with James Dyson-Merwe leading the team with his athleticism.

The second half was led by Barker, with their defence stopping Waverley from scoring. With three minutes to go of the game, Waverley was down by 12 and were able to make a quick run with the help of Flynn Busteed’s and Marley Henare’s shooting to bring Barker’s lead to just six. Unfortunately, it was too late, with the 1^st V losing by eight in the end.

Although it wasn’t the way Waverley wanted to end the year, they will come back stronger than ever, next year.

2nds

At Waverley, the 2nd V faced off against Barker to secure their undefeated first half of the season. With a huge amount of effort and grit, they were able to overcome Barker with the end score, 63 to 45. The first quarter was a slow one with Barker gaining a 10-point lead.

After the break, the dynamic duo of Dom Smith and Toby Longmire were able to pull the team up with their defensive presence to take the lead by the end of the first half.

After that, there was no stopping them, as they were able to build a 20-point lead with the help of Jock Edward’s spectacular performance.

With the win against Barker, the 2^nd V is now sitting on top of the CAS leader board, winning all five games that they have played, hoping to secure the championship next year.

10As

The 10A’ had a tremendous game with a 22- point win over Barker. The star players Ben Pignatelli, Kaden Baker and Tamen Peralta led Waverley, with the end score, 47 to 25.

9As

The undefeated 9As were able to continue their run after having a close one against Barker, with the end score, 36 to 28. With the help of Angus Peshos’ shooting, Nico Palacio’s defence, and Jonte Garvey’s height, the 9As were able to cap off their unbelievable, undefeated first half of the season, hoping to go all the way next year.

8As

The 8As had an incredible game, with the result showing a 33- point win over Barker. Dominic Dametto’s, Aidan Giusti’s and Philip Falaniko’s skills were showcased continuously throughout the game, with the end score, 62-29.

Congratulations to all the teams with each of them putting all their effort into the games. Good luck to all teams as they head off into the second half of the season next year.

A special thank you goes to Mr Gibbs who has given a tremendous effort in the first half of the season.

 

Tom Gleeson
Captain of 1st V

From the Convenor

The Barker game was always going to be a tricky fixture for the 1^st V, if the recent history of tight games between the two schools was anything to go by. The 1^st V needed to defeat Barker to ensure they stayed on top of the table, and right in the hunt for the Rev Fr A V Smith Shield, given fellow table-toppers, Knox and St Aloysius’, were almost certain to win their fixtures.

Ultimately, the 1^st V had a disappointing outing, allowing Barker to penetrate the paint too much, giving away 46 points as well as missing too many of their own shots, only making 22 of 62 2-point field goal attempts.

As a result of this 75-67 loss, the 1^st V now move from equal 1^st to equal 3^rd, with Barker on 3 wins and 2 losses, trailing Knox and St Aloysius’ by a game, after both schools won their fixtures.

With the Trinity Challenge Tournament in the upcoming holiday break, the 1^st V will be desperate to perform well there, to take some confidence and form into the second half of the season, where they now face the challenging task of having to not only win all 5 games to stay in the race for the premiership, but hope that other results go their way as well.

Despite this setback, the 1^st V have done very well to post their 3 wins this term, in what is a very open and competitive competition, and have the personnel to get the job done next term.

The 2^nd V continue to dominate their opponents, putting a cellar-dwelling Barker side to the sword. Early in the game, victory was not assured as Waverley were slow to get going, allowing Barker to take a 12-2 lead, before they were able to hit their stride a minute into the 2^nd quarter, to tie up the game at 12-all. From this point, Waverley started to pull away, leading 27-20 at the main break and 49-30 at three-quarter time.

The 2^nd V eventually cruised to a 63-45 win, and continue to be outright leaders on 5 wins, with a 77-point differential, with Trinity following closely behind on 4 wins. While there are still another 5 games to play next term, and anything can happen, the 2^nd V have certainly placed themselves in the best possible position for a chance of winning the competition.

Other Wins, Draws and Losses

In other games against Barker, Waverley performed very well, winning the following grades: 4^th V (26-24), 5^th V (34-28), 7^th V (36-27), 10^th V (32-24), 10A (47-25), 10C (29-27), 10H (39-28), 9A (36-28), 9B (41-21), 9F (18-17), 9G (30-25), 9H (33-30), 8A (62-29), 9B (35-32), 8C (37-24), 8D (41-27), and 8F (36-13).

At the halfway mark of the season, the 10As have 2 wins from 5 games, the 9As are still undefeated on 5 wins, and the 8As have 2 wins and a draw. In addition, the 9Bs and 8Cs are enjoying excellent seasons and are also undefeated, while the 10Cs, 10Hs, 9Ds, 9Gs, and 8Ds have 4 wins.

With the 1^st V in 3^rd place, 2^nd V coming 1^st, 10As 4^th, 9As 1^st and 8As in 3^rd place, Waverley is the best performing CAS school overall across the top-level grades, a fantastic achievement for our players, coaching staff, and program. With a current win rate of 48% across all CAS games and grades this term, Waverley Basketball is looking like having its best season in a very long time.

Thank you

Thank you to Rachael and Glenn Smith for their tireless work on the Supporters’ Club BBQ over the past 6 weeks. They have done a tremendous job raising funds for the Program.

Many thanks to the numerous parents/carers who have also given their time to help, in particular for home games, our 1^st V and 2^nd V parents/carers. If any parent/carer is able to help out for one hour on a Saturday (before or after your son plays his game), please contact Rachael at rachael_gray@hotmail.com. It would be most appreciated!

The 1^st V and 2^nd V parents/carers also deserve additional recognition for the wonderful food they have provided players and staff for afternoon tea when we have hosted St Aloysius’ and Barker. Waverley has long been known for hosting the best post-game luncheons in the CAS, and this season is no different.

Enjoy a well-earned Christmas and New Year holiday break!