THE final round of the Hamilton Basketball Association regular season was played this week with round 13 games giving teams the last chance to qualify for the playoffs.

Men’s Division 1

Minders d Barber Boys Black

WEDNESDAY’S early game saw Minders get the better of Barber Boys Black, to go into finals full of confidence after a 17-point win.

IT was a high-scoring opening half, with both teams combining to put up 51 points, but it was Minders which did the bulk of the scoreboard damage.

Josh Miller led Minders to a 32-19 lead at the main break.

Miller’s long-range efforts either side of half time ensured Minders’ tally kept ticking over, with Black increasing its output in the second half, but failed to close the deficit, going down 42-59 at the final buzzer.

Daniel Spillman provided plenty of support with 13 points for the winners, while Miller put up a game-high 18 points to guide Minders to victory and set up a semi-final appearance next week.

Barber Boys White d St Mary’s Orange

THE late game was a closer contest, with Barber Boys White hanging on to claim a five-point victory against St Mary’s Orange.

It was a steady start from both teams, with both teams missing shots, while applying plenty of pressure across the court.

White went into half time with a narrow two-point lead, but Orange would have been confident of victory with an improved outing in the second half.

It wasn’t to be though, with Joel Le Roy putting up 10 points to guide White to victory, alongside Aaron Glare’s eight points.

Josh Hallam was Orange’s standout with 12 points in the loss.

The two teams will face-off again in next week’s semi-final, with White and Orange finishing the season in first and second respectively.

Women’s Division 1

Tigers d Minders

TIGERS and Minders faced off in the early game and it was the second-placed Tigers which got the final round win by six points against Minders.

It was a thrilling opening half to the round 13 contest, with both teams grabbing control at different times, with the scoreboard showing 11-11 at the main break.

Both teams were determined to put together a better half, with improved scoring at both ends after the break.

Tigers rallied to put up 20 points to hold off Minders and collect a six-point victory, 31-25.

Rhianne Lewis continued her strong form, once again topping Tigers’ scoring with 10 points, while Madeline Patton put up seven points to be the standout for Minders.

St Mary’s Black d St Mary’s Orange

IT was a Saintly battle to finish the round, with St Mary’s Black and St Mary’s Orange facing off in a pre-finals showdown, with Black getting the bragging rights against the ladder leaders by eight points.

Both teams created plenty of scoring chances, with Charlize Cooper’s five first-half points giving Black a 21-17 lead at the main break.

The second half saw the third-placed side continue to hold off Orange, as Cooper continued to link up and ensure Black went on to claim a 44-36 victory.

Cooper finished the contest with 16 points, while Holly Rook added 10 points in support for Black.

Stella Grinham was Orange’s best with 12 points.