Alex Duck wins again.

For the second consecutive season Lady Bandit Alex Duck has received the SEABL Women Australian Youth Player of the Year Award.

At 18 years of age it's a great effort.

She's been an outstanding player for the local Albury Wodonga team and the accolades are well deserved.

The name Alex Duck will no doubt be one to watch in Australian Womens basketball for years to come.

Congratulations Alex!

Bandit's at Home...

Friday night saw another big night of basketball on the Border with the men and women facing a Tassie challenge.
The women were first up taking on Launceston and as has been the case so many times this season set the pace from the word go.
Launceston weren't about to waste a road trip and fought well but the girls held on for a good win.

The men had it tough from the outset but put in a determined effort throughout the game.
They couldn't however send their Tassie challengers, Hobart, packing and despite some big efforts went down by a narrow margin.

The big excitement for the game was the half time shoot out with a young local player hitting the shot from the centre and taking home the big dollars.

All in all another entertaining night of basketball.
The fans here on the Border can certainly not complain about the level of competition they've been witness to this season.
A few more wins would be nice but hey, it's been anything but dull!

Trevor.

In Pink!

Well the Men and Women of the Border Bandits have had a tough couple of weeks here in Albury with defeats at the hands of Knox Raiders and Brisbane Spartans.
Regardless of win or loss the teams are still putting in big efforts, the opposition has simply been too strong.
Jermaine Williams has settled in to his new role with the club and the younger players for the women are getting court time.

Of course tough games of basketball are one thing.
Life can be a lot harder for many.

Friday night helped to reinforce such an issue with the Brisbane Spartans turning up... in pink!

Of course they are raising money for breast cancer and their uniforms certainly make a big statement!
So for a good cause I'm simply adding some images to this page to document the plight of those suffering this affliction via the generosity of others in the community.

Good on ya' Spartans!
Keep up the good work.

Enjoy.

Trevor.

The Boys (and Girls) are back in town!

What a big night of basketball on the Border!
The Lady Bandits faced off against Frankston Lady Blues Saturday night with the opportunity to take yet another win for the season.
The Albury girls are becoming quite a formidable opponent for any team in the league and with stars such as Toni Edmondson and Lisa Wallbutton it's no surprise!
Toni had a big night again with 26 points and 10 rebounds topped only by Lisa who hit 28 and 10.
Of course the young local girls are stepping up to the plate as well with Alex Duck finishing on 14 and 5 while Ellie Gleeson, with some good court time chipped in with 5 and 4.
The home side took the points with a strong 75-51 score.

The men faced a tall outfit from North West Tasmania and from the first buzzer it was apparent we were in for a physical game.
Tempers flared many times with Fernandez providing some light entertainment via skipping, dancing and even sitting on the edge of a corporate box after a number of these skirmishes.
The Bandits were on top throughout the game and weren't about to be upstaged by their female counterparts finishing with a good solid victory 106-96.
Once again the local boys stood up and kept the score ticking over, Matt Gange with another solid game, 26 and 4, Matt De Koeyer on 17 and 4 and big Tony Ferris chipping in with 6 and 2.
All eyes have been on the latest addition to the team in Jermaine Williams.
He managed a game high 27 points with 8 rebounds for good measure!
And as for Fernandez, another top all round game finishing with 20 and 20.
No doubt about it, Fernandez can jump!
His rebounding at both ends of the court are giving the Bandits the opportunities to take the ball away from opponents and score via several quality outlets such as Gange, De Koeyer and now Williams, just to name a few.
Once again another great night of basketball on the Border and with our own Lauren Jackson watching from the sidelines, a very apt result.

Trevor.

Bandits' Road Trip

While I was unable to make the trip down the Hume on the weekend to see either of the two games the Bandits faced I was compelled to write something considering the outcomes.
Now, according to the box scores from the games the boys had a hard time against Bendigo, going down by 14 points.
Of course there are positives in any defeat, Broady Mills getting some more court time and scoring a few points, Matt Gange with another solid 15 point game and, although probably quiet by his standards, Fernandez Lockett chipping in with 18.
All eyes would have been on new import Jermaine Williams who hit a big 26 points in his first game for his new club.
Overall not a bad effort by the Bandits considering their position on the ladder compared to that of Bendigo.

Sunday they faced Ballarat and while the Miners have had a hard time of it lately they appeared not to show that form, leading at all but the first break.
The Bandits had a big final term however hitting 38 points to take the game by 7.
It was another strong effort by Matt Gange, who's proving to be quite a handful for opposition teams, with 18 points.
De Koeyer added 12 and Williams had another solid start to his term on the Border with 26 points but Lockett once again stole the show with a massive 42 points and 22 rebounds!
How I would have loved to have seen that!
The boys are showing they are a capable team with many players notching up solid scores.
With the disappointment of Smith behind them and the new injection of firepower via Williams hopefully they can go on and provide some quality entertainment for their many fans here on the Border.

Down the road a bit further the Lady Bandits faced one of the top teams in Dandenong and by all accounts it appears to have been a tight game all the way, the girls going down by 2 points.
This is a young team who are achieving some great things this season.
With some good coaching from Ken Kereema they should go on to bigger and better things by season's end.

Trevor.

SEABL, Bandits v Frankston, Lady Bandits v Ballarat.

Saturday night saw a double header at the Albury Sports Stadium with the Lady Bandits first up against the Ballarat Lady Miners.
Given their respective positions on the ladder, win loss ratio and so on the Lady Bandits were always going to be a chance to notch up another win at home.
However they didn't have things all their own way.
After they lead by a couple of baskets at the first break the Miners came back and took a 2 point lead going to half time.
Big efforts from Toni Edmondson, (28 points, 13 rebounds) and Lisa Wallbutton, (19 and 16) kept the home team strong in the final half.
With support from Alex Duck, (13 and 3) and Tara Blair, (11 and 3) the girls were able to hold on for a well earned victory, 77-64.

The men had a tougher proposition ahead of them when they faced Frankston with an unbeaten record.
The first term saw some physical work both under the basket and around the court and the Bandits went to the break with a handy 9 point buffer.
From there however the Blues stepped up the pace.
Their big men in David Gruber, (31 and 15) and Rob Kampman, (26 and 7) cut loose and caused some real headaches for coach Madigan.
The physicality of the match brought tempers to a head in the last term but by then the Blues had the score on the board and took the win 103-87.
Top performers for the Bandits were Lockett, (24 and 13) De Coeyer, (18 and 7), and Gange, (18 and 3).
Overall not a bad effort from the Bandits given the strength of the opposition.

Trevor.

Bandits Big Night.

Albury/Wodonga Bandits faced another night of home games with the Lady Bandits facing Nunnawading and the men facing Mt. Gambier.
The women started hard and performed solidly throughout the game to take a well deserved and much overdue victory.
The star NZ imports performed well again as did local Alex Duck returning to her usual aggressive form.
Elle Gleeson found her feet again and overall the whole team lifted to take the win to resounding applause from the home crowd.
The men faced the Pioneers and ex Bandit Andrew Rice in what may well have appeared to be a foregone conclusion.
The Bandits, however, were quick out of the blocks and looked in control for the most part of the match.
With the Pioneers closing the gap several times and looking like pulling ahead import Fernandez Lockett was inspirational yet again claiming some big defensive rebounds.
Of course the highlight of his game in his short time in Albury has been his athletic dunks and Saturday night was no exception.
With plenty of support from DeKoeyer and Gange etc the boys were able to hang on for a great win.
It's been a while since the Albury stadium has heard such an ovation as received by both these teams.
Here's hoping to more of the same this season!

Trevor.

SEABL, Bandits, Lady Bandits.

SEABL basketball began a couple of weeks back and Albury/Wodonga Bandits played their first home game last weekend.
With a new look team and coach for both the men and women a big season awaits.
In recent years the Bandits have struggled to be competitive in what has become a strong winter fixture.
Last week's game saw new recruit Fernandez Lockett take the court and show his style.
With some great athleticism he stole the show for the local crowd however he wasn't the only highlight for the evening.
New Zealanders Antonia Edmondson and Lisa Wallbutton took the court for the Lady Bandits and of course the usual local stars chipped in to show some promise for the season ahead.
Go Bandits!

Trevor.