NSW too good for QLD

By LS Rachel Irving
RAAF Wagga came alive when it hosted the ADF combined national basketball titles recently.

Held over six days, the standard of play was high and the competition fierce as the states battled for supremacy and the New Zealand Air Force duelled with the RAAF.

The RAAF men’s team took on their NZ opponents with the Kiwis taking the first quarter in a one-point thriller. Signs of pressure started to appear in the second quarter, however, with the New Zealanders’ shooting accuracy waivering. While the quarter time scores remained within six points up until the start of the fourth, the combination of focus, tight defence and consistent shooting, saw the Aussies pull away to eventually win by 15 points, 72-57.

The women’s final saw the Northern Territory take on a combined pool team of players from other states. Although the ‘poolies’ had been tipped as underdog favourites, NT was far too strong and simply a cut above the competition. Standout player for the poolies was allrounder Capt Jayne Tauschke who displayed good solid play throughout the game.

NSW took on the reigning champions, QLD, in a thrilling men’s final. While NSW led at each quarter, QLD refused to go down quietly and fought hard throughout the game. The pressure remained on NSW to retain the lead, which they did and went on to take the game 67 to 58.

The Frenchie McDougall Memorial Award, given to the person who ‘demonstrates the same energy, indomitable spirit, sense of fair play and enjoyment of life that Frenchie (Maj Gregory John Frenchie McDougall) displayed both on and off the court’, was presented to Cpl Gill Rutledge. (Frenchie McDougall was a player and administrator for ADF basketball and passed away in 1997.)