The Mandurah Magic women produced the goods once again over the 2018 State Basketball League season, spearheading yet another successful year with their second straight grand final appearance.
Spurred on by a stunning season from import guard Anita Brown, the Magic’s women put in a valiant effort in their hunt for a maiden title but unfortunately came up just short in the dying minutes against a stacked Lakeside outfit.
It all kicked off back in early March where young guns Rachel Pettit and Jemma Gatti gave spirited performances in the SBL’s pre-season blitz, showcasing the depth the team had built under head coach Randy Miegel.
From there they hit the ground running in the regular season, winning their first five games largely due to resounding efforts from Brown and Kelly Bailey.
But their season started to somewhat derail after star centre Carly Boag went down with injury, sparking a mid-season losing streak that would put their playoff hopes in jeopardy.
And that’s where new import Regina Palusna stepped up.
The Slovakian centre dominated the back end of the season to give Mandurah a huge lift, and the likes of Emma Klasztorny, Bree Klasztorny and Casey Mihovilovich all overcame injuries and returned to form.
They entered the playoffs after finishing the year in sixth and went on to sweep Rockingham and Perth on their way to the grand final.
A maiden championship appeared within reach when the Magic led Lakeside by 10 points with just four minutes on the clock, but it wasn’t to be as the Lightning clawed their way back for a win.
Still, even with the loss, the women’s season kept up with Mandurah basketball’s lofty standards.
The Magic’s men might not have fared as well as the women in coach Aaron Trahair’s second year at the helm, but they were able to stay the course on their path of developing young talent.
Finishing with just five wins from their 26 games, Mandurah just barely avoided ending the year in last on the ladder.
Despite this, impressive import duo Shaun Stewart and Jamal Shabazz gave the home crowd plenty of highlight plays and outstanding performances throughout the campaign.
Stewart was good enough to finish third in the league in scoring, going for 25.7 points per game, while young guns like Chad Miegel, Cousteau Kyle, Damon Ballantyne and Sam Julitz were able to progress with another year under their belt.
The Mandurah Magic teams return in 2019 with their respective seasons kicking off mid-March.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
