CoE Women make big splash to start SEABL season

CoE Women make big splash to start SEABL season

It has been an exciting start to the new era of Australian basketball, with the Basketball Australia National Centre of Excellence teams making a strong impression during the early rounds of the SEABL season.

The CoE Women’s team have made a splash, winning their opening three games of the season by an average margin of more than 30 points – including a 70-point drubbing of the Albury-Wodonga Lady Bandits.

Sporting a talent mix of emerging WNBL stars and teenage prodigies, the CoE Women’s team have emerged as one of the most exciting outfits in the SEABL and currently sit top of the Eastern Conference standings.

The third consecutive win came on Sunday at the BA CoE Training Hall, defeating Kilsyth 84-70 courtesy of outstanding performances from Carley Mijovic and Tessa Lavey.

Mijovic, the 2012 WNBL Rookie of the Year, had 21 points and 14 rebounds, while Lavey had a game-high 22 points as the CoE Women’s team dominated all facets of the contest.

It has been a remarkable start to the season for Mijovic, with the 19-year-old averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds per game, playing more than 30 minutes an outing.

The 196cm centre hasn’t been the only standout, with Tessa Lavey averaging 20 points per game despite missing the huge win over Albury-Wodonga, while 2013 WNBL Rookie of the Year Stephanie Talbot is posting 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists per game.

CLICK HERE to hear from CoE Women's team young star Kristy Wallace talk about the strong start to the SEABL season the team has made.

Despite it being a winless start to the season for the CoE Men’s team, the young and exciting team are showing they will not be a push over for any opposition looking for an easy victory.

Through their opening four games, the team has made a solid contribution across the board, with their strong team defence a highlight.

Point guard Dejan Vasiljevic leads the team in scoring at 11 points per game, shooting a respectable 46% from the field. Xavier Cooks has also been impressive, posting 9.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game through the first four outings, while Jack McVeigh has been solid across the board with 8.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

The CoE teams enjoy a break from SEABL competition for the next two weeks before resuming on the road on April 26 against the Knox Raiders at the State Basketball Centre.

For the fixtures, results and the stats from the 2014 SEABL season visit the official website: www.seabl.com.au.