Mystics douse Flames for fourth crown

Mystics asserted themselves as one of the most successful sides in Albany Basketball Association women’s A-grade history after snaring their fourth straight premiership, downing favourites Flames by five points on Friday night.

After claiming the minor premiership by losing just one game in the regular season and winning their second semifinal, Flames started favourites in the 2016 decider despite coming up against the defending champions.

However the young and flashy Flames outfit were well restricted by the suffocating Mystics defence and led by stars Jorden Tester and Summer Stirling, they were able to overturn a one-point half-time deficit and claim a fourth successive grand final victory.

Tester was sensational again on the big stage, helping restrict Flames weapon Zandalee Arthur to seven points whilea n recording umber of steals and rebounds to go with a game-high 10 points.

The classy point-guard was duly named most valuable player in the 39-34 win while Stirling’s contribution at both ends was also terrific.

Mystics, who finished third on the ladder, started well and led 7-0 in the early stages on the back of a Jenna Onions three-pointer before Flames found their feet to score the next eight points of the game and snatch back the lead.

After five unsuccessful free-throw attempts in the first half, Zandalee Arthur finally broke Flames drought, dropping one shot in after the buzzer to give her side a 14-13 advantage at the break.

Both sides went goal for goal in the initial stages of the second half and Nardia Colbung basket pushed Flames 28-27 ahead inside the final 10 minutes.

The next six minutes of the match proved decisive in the contest however as baskets to Stirling and Tester and then Georgina Lilford helped Mystics open up a five-point margin.

Lilford then produced a brilliant steal in defence and was fouled on her way to the basket as Flames coach David Arthur called a frustrated timeout.

Lilford hit one of the free throws and Izzy Baum’s field goal soon extended Mystics’ margin to a game-high eight points with just over three minutes to play.

Mystics smartly then ran time off the clock and went to the free-throw line numerous times in the final couple of minutes to ice the game.

Stirling hit six important points in the second half to finish with nine for the match and contributions from Taylah Orzel (5), Onions (5) and Rebecca Goodliffe (3) to go with Tester’s effort guided Mystics to another title.

The winners shot at 41 percent from the free-throw line and hit four of 11 long-range baskets.

Mystics coach Craig Tester said his side had turned their fortunes around in the second half of the season.

“We struggled early in the year for consistency and then we started getting all our players back,” he said.

“We didn’t have our whole team together until the last few weeks, we were second last at one stage but I knew if we made the finals we were good enough to win.

“Our bigs, Summer, Jorden and Bec, were hard to match up on; we stopped their run and stopping Zandalee from scoring was great.”

Tester said it was fantastic to see another spread of scoring with eight of his nine players hitting points.

“When we go to the bench we are not losing anything,” he said.

“We do go nine deep which is pleasing.

“Full credit to David, he has done a really good job with Flames finishing on top and losing only two games and sometimes you have to lose one to win one.”

Nardia Colbung (8) and Zandalee Arthur (7) led the scoring for Flames who went at 27 percent at the free throw line making three of 11 attempts and hitting one of seven three-point attempts.