Pumas women go undefeated to be crowned back-to-back Geraldton Amateur Basketball Association champions

Pumas have capped off an unbelievable season with a 37-point win over Chapman Valley to go back-to-back in Friday night’s Geraldton Amateur Basketball Association women’s division one grand final. The result puts an exclamation mark on a flawless season for Pumas, who won every game with an average winning margin of 35 points across 14 games. It’s no surprise Tia Morgan had a huge say in the final result, finishing on 26 points to take out grand final MVP and see her side to the 88-51 point victory at Activewest Stadium. This rounds out an outstanding season from Morgan, who was also named division MVP and picked in the all-stars side after averaging 29 points across 14 matches. “We’re over the moon. We all put in so much work to get here with all those early morning trainings. We’re super stoked,” Morgan said. “It’s definitely a team effort. I couldn’t have done that myself, so kudos to all the girls for putting in the hard work.” Pumas were ruthless but composed from tip-off, slicing through Valley’s defence and punishing stray shots through well-executed rebounds and intercepts. Morgan set the tone, nailing her first of four three-pointers 30 seconds into the first period, kick starting a chain of 11 unanswered points. With less than three minutes remaining, Shannon Johnson got Valley on the board, giving them the lift they needed to add 14 points on the board before the term ended. With Pumas hunting the ball, Valley were kept under constant pressure with Millie Gerreyn among those leading Pumas’ defensive charge. She pulled off some strong rebounds and steals, while adding 16 points to Pumas’ score. The Pumas’ chemistry has proven to be unbeatable all season, with each player playing their role to perfection with unbreakable trust in their teammates. Caitlin Wilson rose to the occasion, shooting 15 points while being a handy contributor around the court, as did Georgia Farley, also finishing on 15 points. Mikenna Schultz and division rising star winner Sophie Fitzpatrick chipped in well, sending the ball forward while providing plenty of physicality in the contest. “We all get around each other on and off the court, so that definitely helps,” Morgan said. “Being in a small town really helps getting around each other and we all want the best for each other. It’s a great club.” Not much could be faulted regarding Valley’s ball movement, but they had trouble finishing passages of play which let them down on the scoreboard. Some of Valley’s top shooters had trouble landing shots they would usually make, which was evident in the third period where they landed seven points. But Tegan Brooks and Natalie Caruana didn’t make it easy for Pumas as they dashed around the court setting up scoring opportunities for Valley Brooks finished as Valley’s top scorer with 14 points, including two three-pointers, with Grace Bowley following with 13 points. Sasha Robinson also impressed, shooting her second highest score in women’s division one season. Although they did not go all the way, Valley can certainly take confidence from their remarkable post-Christmas bye turnaround, going from last to runners-up. In their first grand final appearance since 2009, Valley were resilient until the very end and bounced back from a challenging third period to shoot 20 points — their highest scoring period of the game.