Kings and Cruisers claim victory in Waroona Amateur Basketball Association senior basketball grand finals

Waroona’s basketball season has wrapped up for another season in a tight fight for premiership glory.

The grand finals for the Waroona Amateur Basketball Association were held earlier this month, with seniors results going right down to the wire.

In the men’s final, it was a showdown between runner-up minor premiers the Warriors and the third-finishing Kings.

Despite having the harder route to the final showdown, Kings had strong momentum from early on and had built up a moderate 35-26 lead going into the break.

The Warriors managed a better performance in the second period and scored more than the Kings, but it proved too little, too late.

Kings players took the crown with a 55-49 victory, with Travis Durnin scoring 25 points to be the highest point scorer of the match.

Rickardo Jetta Jr scored 19 points for the Warriors.

The Kings’ Matt Vitale was the grand final most valuable player.

In the women’s final, it was another third-placed Kings team who went up against the Cruisers for premiership glory.

There was not much separating either side during the game, with only two points between the teams at half-time.

It was the minor premiers who scraped over the line when it counted, with the Cruisers winning 34-31.

Melissa Hernaman was the only player to finish the match scoring double digits, with a total of 13 points.

Teammate Emma Faulkner was the most valuable women’s grand final player.

In the end of season awards, the Bulls’ Bailey Gallop took home the rising star and one of the three all stars awards, with the two latter gongs going to Rent-A-Crowd’s Trey Bennell and the Suns’ Dion Pisconeri.

Magic’s Michael Hansen was runner-up for association best and fairest, with the top gong going to the Warriors’ Rickardo Jetta Jr.

Phoenix player Mackenzie Pitter was the big winner in the women’s awards, taking home rising star and association best and fairest.

The runner-up for the latter accolade was the Cruisers’ Emma Faulkner, while teammate Ninnette Comito, the Kings’ Brooke Vantwist and the Young Bloods’ Makkiah Dittman taking home all stars awards.

In the junior divisions, under 17 boys player Lawson Brett and under 14 girls player Lacey Hurley were the association’s basketballers of the year for the most votes across all age groups.

Lucas Birch was the under 13 boys association best and fairest for his division.