ST Mary’s looks set to go all the way in the 2023 Hamilton Basketball Association (HBA) Division 1/2 Women’s competition sitting clear on top of the ladder with an unblemished 8-0 season record.
Clare Crawford has dominated the competition and is almost a lock for season MVP, dropping almost double the points of anybody else in the league.
Saskia Gould has been a consistent performer for St Mary’s Black this season scoring 53 points and sitting second on the league scoring chart.
Tahlia Ross leads the competition in three-pointers, knocking down nine from beyond the arc, accounting for 27 of her 42 points this season.
The middle of the ladder is evenly poised with Tigers (second) and Sportscene Minders (third) both sitting on five wins, while Barber Babes closes out the top four with a 4-3 record.
St Mary’s Black, Minders Blue and St Mary’s White close out the ladder positions and will all need to turn their seasons around if they are to make a charge towards finals.
St Mary’s
Position: First
Season record: 8-0
Top scorer: Clare Crawford (103 points)
ST Mary’s is cruising through the season and is yet to drop a game, winning eight in a row and is undefeated eyeing off premiership glory.
Clare Crawford has carried her team to the top of the ladder with 103 points so far, with a season-high of 24 against Minders Blue back in round six.
The only team to come within 10 points of the premiership favourites was last year’s runner-up, Sportscene Minders, who looks to be the biggest chance of upsetting the Saints.
The last game before the break was decided by just four points in favour of the top side, whereas a match earlier in the season saw St Mary’s win by just eight points, 31-23.
When you take out the St Mary’s match ups against Minders, they have been a formidable side winning by a huge average of 24.5 points per game and will be tough to beat for other sides.
Tigers
Position: Second
Season record: 5-3
Top scorer: Molly O’Brien (37 points)
THE reigning premiers are well positioned to launch another big finals campaign when the regular season wraps, sitting in second place by percentage.
Of the three games the side has lost this season, two of them were against St Mary’s, which is to be expected, however Tigers dropped a game by 10 points in a grand final rematch against Sportscene Minders.
Molly O’Brien leads the scoring with 37 points, the side has shown that it doesn’t require one player do lift the team every week in order to get wins on the board.
The Tigers side is very young and this is the only thing that could cause them trouble when the pointy end of the season comes around, lacking experience has probably been a difference when meeting sides like the Saints.
However, this side knows what the premiership victory tastes like and is desperate to get there again this season with the young and talented squad it has.
Sportscene Minders
Position: Third
Season record: 5-3
Top scorer: Tahlia Ross (42 points)
SPORTSCENE Minders will be out for redemption this season after falling short in the grand final against Tigers last time by an agonising five points.
A positive ledger puts the team in the mix, outside the top two by percentage.
Just eight points separated the Minders and St Mary’s teams in the first clash of the season, with the margin reduced to four points in the rematch, showing the team is building its form in a positive way.
Reigning Division 1/2 Women’s season MVP, Tahlia Ross, has continued her impressive form with a team-high 42 points, but will need more support from the likes of Mia McGrath (36 points) if the team is to push up into premiership territory.
Barber Babes
Position: Fourth
Season record: 4-3
Top scorer: Isabelle Johnson and Danielle Vankalken (41 points)
IT has been a positive showing for the Barber Babes in their inaugural season in the top division, matching it with the better teams to sit inside the top four with six games to play before finals.
The squad looks balanced on paper and as on-court chemistry has grown, the team’s performances have improved.
Isabelle Johnson has come across from Tigers and has led from the front, sharing the scoring responsibility with Danielle Vankalken with 41 points each.
A clash against the ladder leaders in the first game back after the break will give an indication of the team’s improvement, but with three games against teams lower than them on the ladder to follow, a finals berth is there for the taking.
St Mary’s Black
Position: Fifth
Season record: 3-4
Top scorer: Saskia Gould (53 points)
IT hasn’t quite gone right for St Mary’s Black, sitting fifth and a game outside the top four, and with a tough run of games to come, an upset win or two will be needed to ensure a top four finish.
Maddox Ryan has offered support at different times, but with no bench players most weeks, the workload for the players often takes a toll late in games.
Black will be hoping to firstly balance the win-loss ledger then push towards finals, and will need other results to go their way to reach the post-season.
Minders Blue
Position: Sixth
Season record: 2-5
Top scorer: Amy Pepper (43 points)
A STRUGGLING Minders Blue team hasn’t been able to generate too much winning momentum so far this season, claiming victory just twice to date.
A round one bye and a one-point round two win against St Mary’s White are the only weeks the team has avoided defeat, as the tea looks to build in the second half of the season.
Amy Pepper has dug deep, putting up 43 points for the team, with Maddison Cotten adding 39 points in five games.
With 137 points for the season, the scoring output needs to ramp up within the team to push up the ladder in the next few weeks.
St Mary’s White
Position: Seventh
Season record: 1-7
Top scorer: Lily Raymond and Tana Nedziwe (41 points)
SITTING seventh is St Mary’s White, which has yet to record a win on the court this season, with the only points coming from its bye.
Falling short of victory by a point in round two was the closest the team has got to a win, while a two-point loss to St Mary’s Black in round eight shows the team is capable of putting together balanced performances.
Conceding 311 points is the worst defensive record by 25 points, with the team unable to stop opposition bursts at different times, something which must be corrected if the team is to notch up some late-season wins.
