THE 2024 Foot Locker Australian School Championships continued on Tuesday with plenty more games taking place, and in the Girls tournament, Barker College claimed a commanding win over Marsden State High School on the Gold Coast.

The two teams came into the clash in very different form, with Barker College undefeated from two games while Marsden State High School was yet to record a win from their two games, and entered as underdogs.

It ended up being a one-sided affair, with Barker recording its third win to move to the top of the pool with a perfect record, while Marsden State is the only team without a win in that same group of teams, and will be unable to make a run at the championship.

Marsden State looked to play largely around the perimeter, but unfortunately, the saying ‘live by the three, die by the three’ rang true, and their inaccuracy proved costly. They made just eight triples on 31 attempts, while Barker College shot 4/17 and found plenty more success scoring the ball closer to the basket.

It was a steady build from Barker College, who jumped out to a five-point lead at quarter time, and held an 11-point buffer at the main break. They won every quarter en route to an 86-69 win to further their championship claims.

Star guard Jessie-May Hall was the standout for Barker College, bringing her proven talent as a scorer to the Schools Championships. Hall has already played a starring role at NBL1 level despite being just 7 years of age, and came into the tournament as one of the players to watch.

Hall posted a game-high 29 points on 12/17 shooting from the field, preferring to do most of her scoring close to the basket with her trademark toughness shining through, although she did nail one three-pointer. The young star also pulled down seven rebounds and four assists in a typically stat-stuffing showing.

Sasha Clague made every post a winner with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds on 7/8 shooting from the field, while Lucy Mead was also impressive with 13 points and 13 rebounds of her own.

For Marsden State, Peata Manumaleuga was the standout with 21 points on 8/20 shooting from the field as she tried to elevate her team’s offence with some much-needed scoring. Alexis Beasley was the other strong performer in the loss, posting 15 points and eight rebounds in a hard-working performance.