Hooptime is finals time at school

By Glen Atwell
BERWICK Lodge Primary School slam-dunked its way to statewide basketball finals and again proved its basketballing prowess.
Last week, the Berwick Lodge All Stars girls’ team and the junior mixed Future Stars played in the Hooptime state finals at the Dandenong Basketball Stadium.
Over 2000 competed teams entered the competition and the Berwick Lodge teams were good enough to make the final 30.
The All Stars consisted of Tenaya Phillips, Kiara Phillips, Bec Magdich, Ashlea Stainer, Sarah Abela, Cherise Jacotine, Ali Young and Brittany Jackson.
The All Stars won their way through the local Hooptime competition earlier in the year, winning four out of their five matches and losing the other by just one point.
Convincing wins in the regional finals secured a place in the final playoff for the trophy on 25 November.
The All Stars played well throughout the day to make it through to the finals with an impressive 25-4 win, but were eventually outplayed by last year’s champions.
The Future Stars team of Larni Fletcher, Michael Cardell, Jayden Young, Sophie Llinares, Kayla Foster, Aaron Campbell and Brendon Wilson-Jones also had a successful lead-up to the state final of their competition, being undefeated at the regional finals held on 10 November.
At the championships on 29
November, the Future Stars finished fifth in their pool to play a consolation final, which they won by 12 points to six.
Berwick Lodge physical education teacher Kylee Ziino said both teams performed exceptionally well throughout the year.
“The Hooptime competition was very popular this year, with over 2000 teams and 26,000 students competing from around Victoria.
“The matches were tough and highly competitive, so it really has been an outstanding effort by our players to reach this level of the competition,” Ms Ziino said.
Ms Ziino said despite the tough competition the Berwick Lodge students had performed with terrific sportsmanship.
“These results and the spirit in which they were achieved are testimony to the success of the sports program at Berwick Lodge,” she said.