The Hume City Lady Broncos have maintained the Club’s incredible record in the Big V State Championships competition, winning their fifth elite State title in eight years.

 

That this Championship was earned against the odds and on the back of friendless conventional wisdom makes this achievement the more remarkable.

 

After the 2013 Champion team lost the services of former WNBL stars Sharin Milner and Katrina Hibbert (both retired) and talented forwards Yinka Oluriniffe and Taryn McPherson, the Big V pundits had written off Hume City as a contender for the 2014 title.

 

Enter Colleen Planeta, a 190 cm forward/centre from Point Loma Nazerene University (San Diego, USA), who turned out to be the dominant superstar around which Hume City’s 2014 road to glory was built. The return of 2008/2009 Hume City Championship player Lauren Bennett combined with the additions of Kiwi Samara Gallaher and Luxembourg national Jil Haentges, 2013 returnees Viv Saad, Sarah Wright, Jacinta Scott, Mua Laloifi and Rebecca Romeo and rookies Sarah Scott and Caroline Hardeman, rounded out a roster that Coach Warren Taylor worked tirelessly to develop into a champion team that, in the end, prevailed over their popularly backed rivals in McKinnon and Ringwood.

 

After disposing of McKinnon in two games, the Lady Broncos looked to be well and truly behind the eight ball when they lost at the Corral to ladder leaders Ringwood. However, with the resilience that Hume City basketball is known for, they then proceeded to set a new Big V high by defeating the Hawks at the Maroondah Leisure Centre in games 2 and 3 of the Championship deciding series. A telling stat in those wins was the double digit assists for the Lady Broncos in each game, a clear indicator of a team’s willingness to share the ball and get high percentage returns for their efforts.

 

Celebrations continued well into the night on Sunday back at the Corral, as players, coaching staff, Committee, office staff and supporters rejoiced in adding another banner to the four Womens Championship titles earned in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2013.

 

As VP Glen Milner summed up: “Waz’s outstanding coaching effort across the year, together with a team that plays for the singlet and for each other, richly deserved this success. Hume City has a reputation for assembling players who are not only talented, but most importantly, have good character and put the team before individual needs. It’s also great to continue our tradition of former Junior Broncos seeing significant minutes at this elite standard of competition, proving the effectiveness of our pathways and guaranteeing a sustainable model for success.”

 

Grand Final Results:
           Game 1 – Ringwood 67 Hume City 53 (at the Corral, Broadmeadows)
            Game 2 - Hume City 68 Ringwood 54 (at the Rings, Maroondah)

            Game 3 - Hume City 65 Ringwood 59 (at the Rings, Maroondah)

           Most Valuable Player – Colleen Planeta (Hume City)