Manjimup basketball finals clashes locked in after last round of regular season went down to the wire

The final round of the Manjimup Basketball Association senior men’s A-grade competition went down to the wire with three teams in contention for the final two play-off spots. All three contenders won their respective fixtures, meaning Bullets and Raiders squeezed into third and fourth on the table. Even after an upset win against second-placed Purple Cobras, the Hawks missed out on finals due to their 2-1 head-to-head record with Raiders. Brandy Armstrong led the way for Hawks in the 52-46 win with 15 points, supported by Ryan Gandy with 14. Kester Decke (13) and Jacob Henry (11) were the only two players in double figures for Purple Cobras in the loss. Raiders dominated Wolfpack in their clash, cementing fourth spot on the ladder with a 72-45 win. It was a shared effort by Raiders with James Millar (21), Bailey Scott (17) and Tyler Beebe (17) all major contributors while Kai Mcginty was the lone wolf in the pack with 21 in the defeat. Bullets ensured they couldn’t fall out of finals with a 43-29 win over Dribblers. Chayce Stacpoole (15) and Jett Martyn (10) guided Bullets to the 14-point win while Richie Dronow (10) was the only player in double digits for Dribblers who finished last on the ladder with a solitary win. Coming off two losses in a row, Purple Cobras will face Barracudas coming off the bye in Wednesday night’s qualifying final. The do or die elimination final will see Bullets take on Raiders. In senior women’s A grade, Comets finished the season undefeated on top of the ladder with 15 wins to their name and a qualifying final date with Vixens. Vixens survived a scare against Slam Drunks to get the double chance with a 40-39 win. A combined effort from all Vixens secured the win while Charli Omodei was bottom of the table Slam Drunks’ best with 14 points and three threes. Competition leading scorer Maddi Gunson starred for Titans in their 34-30 win over Dribblers. The two teams will clash again in Wednesday’s elimination final. Gunson finished the regular season with 149 points in nine games, five ahead of second-placed Courtney Webb who has played four extra games.