Albany Basketball Association under-13 team claim State Championship

Albany Basketball Association’s under-13 division 2 Raiders team had a memorable win at the Basketball WA State Championships in Perth, going through the competition undefeated at the weekend. Albany won all five of their regular matches in their pool before defeating Willetton Tigers 1 in the grand final to claim what is believed to be Albany’s first under-13 State championship. The top side from each pool in the division played off against each other for a spot in the decider. A dominant first half in the grand final was the key to bringing home the silverware as Albany outscored their rivals, 26-9 to lead by 15 at half-time. Albany were narrowly outscored in the second half but they were able to keep a healthy advantage as the margin never got back to single figures. Albany went on to secure a resounding 46-31 victory as Billy McRae received most-valuable-player honours for his brilliant 17-point haul while Natale Trichilo added 11. In the first game of the weekend, Albany defeated Warwick Senators 35-25 before recording an emphatic 47-28 victory over Rockingham Flames in their second game. Albany put on a dominant display in their third game, winning 56-19 over Mandurah Magic before going on to win against Hill Raiders 42-29. Albany capped a perfect regular game run with a 19-point win against Perry Lakes Hawks Blue before advancing to the grand final after downing Willetton Tigers 2, 47-24 in the semifinal. The Albany under-15 division 3 team finished third in their pool after winning three of their five games while the under-15 division two team also won three games to finish fourth in their pool. In under-13 division 3, Albany failed to win any of their five regular games.