BASKETBALL
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THE Orange Eagles under-12 girls’ side - the first in recent memory - have already exceeded expectations in making this weekend’s Basketball NSW Molten Waratah Western Junior League finals, a feat few predicted for the fledgling unit.
After starting the year promoting enjoyment as their first priority, Eagles coach Baden Annis-Brown said the side’s mindset has changed leading into this weekend’s play-offs, where the Eagles will enjoy a home-court advantage at Orange PCYC.
They want to win.
Not just their semi-final against the Bathurst Goldminers Blue either, they want to take out the whole thing.
In finishing the regular season fourth with a 5-7 record the Eagles lost both encounters against the third-finishing Goldminers, but Annis-Brown said with his troops’ new-found desire an upset victory certainly isn’t out of the question.
“We’re good enough to beat Bathurst on our day,” he said.
“We haven’t beaten them yet but the girls are a lot keener and hungrier to win now. At the start it was more about being together, playing together and having fun. They’ve really enjoyed that.
“But these last couple of weeks, knowing we’re in the finals and we’re at home they’ve become a lot keener to win and beat Bathurst.
“Bathurst have been playing (together) for a couple of years which gives them a bit of a head start but as long as the girls defend well then I’m sure we can win.
“It’s the first [under-12 girls’ side] in a long time, I’m not sure about ever.
“It’s their first year in representative basketball so no, we weren’t really expecting them to get this far ... but they’ve all picked it up and come along so quickly.
“They’re going great. Some of them have even given up netball to play basketball.”
Should they win in Saturday’s minor semi-final, the Eagles will take on the loser of the major semi-final between the West Wyalong Wildcats and Narrandera Knights in Sunday morning’s preliminary final, before the grand final that afternoon.
Orange will also have sides in the under-12 boys’ play-offs, while the Eagles’ under-14 and under-18 girls’ and boys’ sides will also turn out.
Orange’s under-16 girls’ side missed the finals, but their male counterparts will take to the court this weekend.
The semi-finals kick-off at 9am on Saturday morning.