Basketball Report
Saturday 22 February
In Round 11, Shore’s First V faced off against the top-ranked team, The King’s School (King’s). Once again, Shore was missing key players, meaning it would take a massive team effort to pull off an upset.
From the start, King’s demonstrated why they were at the top of the table, efficiently scoring early in the first quarter to jump out to a 12-point lead. However, the resilience of the Firsts was evident during this period—they never gave up and found a way to stay within reach.
With only minutes remaining in the third quarter, Shore battled back to cut the deficit to just two points, trailing 54-56. Unfortunately, their momentum stalled in the next period, as a five-minute scoring drought allowed King’s to go on a 10-0 run. This ultimately created a gap too large for Shore to overcome.
Ben Murray delivered his best performance of the Term, recording a double-double in points and rebounds. Meanwhile, Louis Pichler led all scorers with 19 points in his first game back from injury this year.
Shore Seconds secured a thrilling overtime victory, defeating King’s 55-50. A hot start from the Shore, turning defensive into offence and jumping out to a quick 13-2 run, but after a few substitutions and a dip in energy, King’s regained momentum and entered halftime with a three-point lead. The second half was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams making big plays and momentum constantly shifting. With a minute left, Shore trailed by three—just the right moment for Harvey Joyce to step up and knock down a clutch three-pointer. The Seconds then delivered a fantastic defensive stand in the final possessions, preventing King’s from scoring and forcing overtime. Shore then dominated the overtime period, opening with a 6-0 run and never looking back. Jacob Shih was outstanding in transition, finishing key fast breaks, while Jordan G and Harvey Joyce led the team with 13 points each, including crucial late-game contributions. The Seconds remain in contention for the premiership and can secure it by winning the rest of the season.
Player of the Week: Hayden Bunting – Leading the 14Cs to a massive 43-24 win against King’s and adding 15 points himself.
Team of the Week: The Sixths continue their stellar season, securing another victory and bringing their record to 10 wins from 11 matches. This past Saturday’s game against King’s was a nail-biter, with the Sixths narrowly edging out a 35-33 win. Close games have been a theme of their season, yet they consistently find a way to come out on top. A scrappy and athletic team, they excel at generating offensive opportunities through defensive pressure and capitalising on second-chance points from offensive rebounds.
Noah Shepherd and Nick Dolman led the team with nine points each, but it was a collective effort that secured the win. The team plays with relentless energy, embodying the idea that the harder you play, the luckier you get.
Mr Indiana Faithfull
MIC Basketball
