THE Hamilton Basketball Association season resumed this week after a more than two-month break, with round nine games played on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Women’s Division 1

Tigers d St Mary’s Black

TUESDAY night’s games started with Tigers facing off against St Mary’s, with a strong first half helping Tigers claim victory in the round nine clash.

Both sides enjoyed long periods of domination, with Tigers dominating the first half, with an even spread of contributors helping the team go into the break with a 15-5 scoreboard advantage.

The second half flipped with the Saints grabbing control of the contest, trying to close down the deficit, but the team eventually ran out of time and Black lost, 22-26.

Rhianne Lewis impressed for Tigers, putting up eight points to ensure her team got the win, while Ruby Cleaver was Black’s best with 11 points.

St Mary’s Orange d Minders

ST Mary’s Orange ensured it wasn’t all bad for the Saints, defeating Minders in the late game by 15 points.

It was a more one-sided clash than the previous game, with Minders struggling to score in both halves, as Orange’s defence was on song, and ensured the team remained clear in top spot at the conclusion of the round.

St Mary’s went into half time leading by seven points, and also dominated the second half with a 12-4 period to record a 27-12 victory at the final buzzer.

Leesa Iredell and Grace Cleaver top-scored for St Mary’s with eight points each, while Madeline Patton was the standout for Minders with six points.

Men’s Division 1

St Mary’s Black d Barber Boys

WEDNESDAY’S early game saw both teams play aggressive basketball, with end-to-end play a highlight, as St Mary’s Black won a high-scoring contest by three points.

The first half saw a combined 55 points scored, as both teams made the most of their scoring opportunities, with Black edging clear to claim a 30-25 lead at the main break.

Barber Boys wasn’t going to go down swinging, bouncing back to win the second half, but not be enough to overhaul the half deficit, as Black recorded a 63-60 victory.

Harlie Manson top-scored for the winners with 18 points, while Jack Roberts chipped in with 16 in support.

Ryan Anton (15 points) and Sam English (14 points) were Barber Boys’ best.

St Mary’s Orange d Minders

THE second game was even tighter at the final buzzer, with St Mary’s Orange edging out Minders by two points to claim victory.

The first half was a defensive battle between the two teams, with Minders able to edge clear to take a one-point lead into half time.

St Mary’s Orange was determined to grab the lead, as the momentum swung from one team to the other in the second half, with Orange eventually claiming victory, 43-41.

Jack Jennings (18 points) and Deacon White (15 points) led the way for Orange, while Daniel Spillman was Minders’ top-scorer with 18 points.