Basketball

Three St Francis De Sales Regional College students were presented with NSWCCC Blue Awards for excellence in school sport at the annual CSNSW Sports Awards ceremony in Sydney. Evie Henley (Australian Rules), Darcy Mimmo (Australian Rules) and Timeeka Coleman (Basketball) were recognised for excelling in their chosen school sport pathway in 2024.

Australian basketball legend Aaron Bruce has relocated to Birchip to manage his Uncle Des Ryan’s Hotel, and he is eager to share his skills, knowledge, and passion for the game with people of all ages. Aaron, who starred in college basketball at Baylor University before making his mark in the National Basketball League (NBL) with the Adelaide 36ers and the Sydney Kings…

Joanna Tucker. A vourt at the Copper Coast Sport and Leisure Centre, Kadina, is now officially named in honour of local Olympian Stephanie Talbot ... Talbot, formerly of Kadina, said she had learned everything she knew from playing sport. "It means the world to be able to have the court named after me," Ms Talbot said.

Wilson McShane. Kadina’s Stephanie Talbot has cemented her status as an Olympic champion after helping the Australian women’s basketball team secure a bronze medal on Sunday. The Opals triumphed 85-81 over the sixth-ranked Belgium in front of a packed crowd in Paris.

Fifteen-year-old Sandringham Sabres young gun, Madison Ryan, has officially made the under-17 Australian Sapphires Basketball team and will travel to Mexico to compete in the World Cup series between July 13 and 21, 2024.

The trail blazing Limestone Coast Regional Sporting Academy has created a blueprint for other regions around South Australia. Talented athletes, including nine from the Naracoorte Lucindale area, are emerging as not only high performers in various sports, but as young leaders and role models for their peers and the community.

Narrandera Knights junior representative basketball teams enjoyed great success at last weekend’s Western Junior League finals series in Griffith. For a small association, Narrandera was well represented with six of the seven 2024 teams qualifying for finals where the U12 girls and U16 girls progressed to grand final matches.

Peter Argent. In her second game back from a knee reconstruction, Stephanie Talbot (Kadina) played a vital role in the Adelaide Lightning’s third successive victory at the 36ers Arena on Saturday evening. Talbot came off the bench and ignited the Lightning in the first half against the Melbourne Boomers, with eight points, seven rebounds, a couple of assists, three steals and a blocked shot.

Peter Argent. Stephanie Talbot (Kadina) made a stunning return to basketball in the Women’s National Basketball League for Adelaide Lightning against Canberra Capitals on Sunday, January 28. It was Talbot’s first game of competitive basketball in 11 months, since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in a February 18, 2023 WNBL game.

Fin Hansen. Kadina’s Stephanie Talbot is already eyeing a return to the court just six months after rupturing her ACL. The 29-year-old Adelaide Lightning captain will miss the majority of the 2023-24 Women’s National Basketball League season following the knee injury in her side’s third-to-last game of last season.

Fin Hansen. Seventeen years after receiving a cochlear implant, Bailey McNicholl has discovered his hearing could have been blocked by a flawed hospital system... The faults resulted in the potential under-mapping of implants, meaning devices were incorrectly programmed in up to 208 recipients, including now 23-year-old Bailey.

In recent weeks headspace Swan Hill has actively partnered with twenty-four local sporting clubs to deliver important mental health messages and strategies in three leagues across the North Central and Mallee communities.

Patricia Gill. Denmark Shire chief executive David Schober will officially end his tenure on July 11 to return to a lifelong passion, coaching basketball. Former professional basketball coach David will take a ‘dream job’ at the Denmark Senior High School vacated by dual Olympian Paul Rogers.

Inspirational community contributions celebrated. Well known Narrandera Shire resident Rex Evans was rewarded for his generous and ongoing contribution to Narrandera shire communities over many years with the 2023 Citizen of the Year Award ... "our town wouldn’t be what is without volunteers": Senior Citizen of the Year, Beverly Hughes.

After being honoured at the Allora Regional Sports Museum earlier this year, the accolades continue for Allora born and bred netballer Laura Geitz, who was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame recently ... "Drawn to netball by her older sister’s purple netball shoes, she stands an imposing 1.9m and is an extraordinary mix of athleticism and aura, competitiveness and charisma, grit and glamour. And she is one of Australia’s all-time greats": Queensland Sport.

Samuel Davis. Megastar athletes are nice but meat pies, roadhouse burgers and hugs from daughter Talei are what really fuel this truckie ... The hardest working man in Australian basketball is finally taking a break ... Junior Virantuleo, the Cooktown truckie, who swapped the cabin for courtside at some of the biggest arenas in the world, returned home this month.

Patty Mills for Prime Minister – that was the call on Saturday night as the star basketballer drained 42 points to lead the Boomers to their first ever Olympic medal. The Torres Strait Island product was amazing in all the big moments as he led Australia to a 107-93 win against Slovenia to pick up a much-deserved bronze medal. Bronze felt like “rose gold” to Mills.

Patrick Mills sunk his first basket on Thursday Island, but his journey to international stardom has rarely been in the Torres Strait. Over the next two weeks, he will attempt to lead the Boomers to a historic medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Olympics veteran Patty Mills says he understands the privileged position he is in to be one of the two flag-bearers for the Australian team at Tokyo. “As a proud Kokatha, Naghiralgal and Dauareb-Meriam man it’s incredible. A very passionate moment I can feel in my bones,” Mills said after the announcement that he and Cate Campbell will lead the Aussie team at the opening ceremony.

Torres Strait basketball prodigy Tamuri Wigness has been named as the captain of the Australian Emus team ahead of the upcoming FIBA U19 World Cup.