On the 24th of August the SEDA Girl’s Basketball team, comprised of players from all classes, played in a basketball carnival at The Lights Recreation Center in an attempt at the state championship. The team competed in 4 games, being played for half the time of a regular basketball game. Games were played throughout the day in alternating rounds with the boys’ team, leaving a day filled to the brim with action.
Game one was played against Blackwood. Playing the first game of the day at just 9:30 in the morning, both teams were warming themselves up for the first time the day, but the gym was filled with an air of anticipation and excitement. The girl’s team’s coach, Bailey Kendall, called the girl’s in to re-iterate the game plan before the game started, and selected the starting lineup.
The referee’s called for the teams to get in starting positions, waiting for the tip-off to begin. The tip-off was won by Blackwood and from the second the ball was taken by the opposition, the girl’s set up their defence and started pressuring the ball carrier. The game was back and forth between the teams, both scoring off of quick ball movement. The SEDA Girls played amazing defence throughout the whole game, forcing the other team to take tough shots. The first half finished with the SEDA Girls up by just 4 points, and the teams took the half-time rest as a chance to discuss changes to the game plan.
The second half began with just as much – if not more – intensity than the previous half. It was a close game with impressive moments for both teams. Between the excellent passing, the difficult shots scored, and the amazing defence, SEDA was holding their own against a team that had a serious height advantage. Unfortunately, the Blackwood team was too much for the SEDA Girls, as they were able to hold off the advances made in the final minute. In the end, SEDA lost 31 to 37 against the Blackwood girls’ team.
Bella Schaftenaar had an outstanding performance, with an impressive stat line of 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, a block, and a steal on 80% shooting from the field. Bella showed her speed and vision multiple times off of rebounds with multiple long passes up the field, or by going coast to coast to score on offence.
In game two the girls played against St Mary’s. The team’s coach called the girl’s into a huddle to make changes to the strategy and explain some weaknesses from the game before. The team agreed upon a strategy that would create a much slower pace, which create fewer shots but was far less exhausting and created better opportunities. They continued to use the pre-structured defence from the previous game.
The two teams got into their positions around the centre circle and prepared themselves for the tip. The tip-off was won by SEDA this round and the girls immediately rushed up the court on the attack avoiding the opposition’s defence and calling out structured plays in order to create open space. The game was back and forth between the teams, but SEDA was able to consistently find open, easy shots near the hoop. The SEDA Girls played amazing defence throughout the whole game, forcing the other team into turnovers at the half-court, and creating fast, controlled counterattacks. The first half finished with the SEDA Girls in the lead, and the teams took the half-time rest to recover their energy and support each other.
The second half was a continued highlight reel with the whole team making difficult layups, catch-and-shoot threes and picking the pockets of any St Mary’s players who dribbled for more than a few seconds in front of them. It was an amazing game with impressive moments for both teams with great team play happening. The passing, the callouts, and the support coming from the SEDA girls created an on-court environment where the players weren’t afraid or nervous, which lead to more passes to each other.
Unfortunately, the opposing team was filled with more than capable three-point shooters, raining a barrage of deep shots to take a convincing lead by the end of the game. The SEDA Girls strayed away from three-point shots due to the difficulty in comparison to layups and shots closer to the rim. The SEDA girls were unluckily beaten, losing the match after scoring 19 points by the end.
In game three the girls played against York Peninsula. The girls were eager for a win after coming close in both of the previous games. The girls were eager for a win after falling barely short the previous games. The girls warmed up with layup lines and skipped the coach’s game plan changed as it stayed the same from the game previous.
The girls found their spots surrounding the centre circle and got themselves in position to receive the tip. The tip-off was won by SEDA again this game and the girls immediately rushed up the court on the attack avoiding the opposition’s defence and scored the easy layup before the defence could react and get back. The game was back and forth between the teams, but SEDA was able to pass into easy shots right below the hoop or in the low post. The SEDA Girls showed their consistency with yet another case of amazing defence this whole game, taking steals and transforming the defence into a fast-paced rush of offence. The first half finished with the SEDA Girls in the lead, and both teams exited the courts for their halftime breaks.
The second half showed the girls their hard work paying off, with the team making difficult layups, and mid-range shots and grabbing rebounds over the top of the opposition. It was an amazing game with impressive moments for both teams. The passing, the cutting, and the support coming from the SEDA bench was a sight to see, and the loud presence of the SEDA Boys team in the stands watching on filled the court with energy and excitement that made for a nearly palpable environment.
Shakayla played dominant defence throughout the game, intercepting multiple passes, stealing the ball off the other team, and even swatting a shot out of the air. She set the tone and energy for the rest of the team, showing a real instinct for leadership on that end of the floor.
The next game was the final game, played against Gleeson. The girls were excited to play their last game. The girls were eager to end the day with a win after a long day of games. The girls warmed up the same as they did in the past game.
The girls prepared the same as they did every other game, by surrounding the centre circle and readying themselves for the match. The tip-off was won by SEDA for the third game in a row and the girls started a slow, pace. The game had a violent start, with SEDA holding the opposition scoreless for the beginning 5 minutes. The SEDA Girls showed their skill with fast breaks happening in almost every possession, whether it be off a rebound or a steal. The first half finished with the SEDA Girls in the lead by a large amount, and both teams exited the courts for their halftime breaks.
The second half showed the girls continued dominance, with the team running the length of the court to make layups, curling screens for mid-range shots, and grabbing rebounds to begin fast breaks. It was an amazing game to watch, the game slowed down towards the end as the girls changed their defence from a full-court trap to a 2-3 zone.
The team played absurdly well in this final game, showing their individual strengths, as well as their ability to play as a team. It was great to see athletes from all different sports, through multiple different SEDA classes. We were very lucky to see everyone playing together and working as a team. We are all glad to see how well these different classes got along.
Congratulations to everyone who played on the day, both from SEDA’’s boys and girl’s teams and the other schools from around the area. Every team played well through the day and competed through wins and losses. Huge thanks to The Lights Recreation Center for allowing the carnival to take place in their amazing facilities, and for allowing the SEDA boys who weren’t playing a room for studying away from the noise.
