The female basketball team of Western Cape Mountaineers in Mitchell’s Plain recently made history at the Basketball National League in Johannesburg by beating Egoli Magic in the final and ending the season on a high.
“We are part of this league for the past ten years and the men’s team fell short of the Suns finishing second. This was history across the board as in 2021 the men never made it to the finals and the ladies picked up the gold. This year the roles were reversed and we are chaffed,” says Ajay Robertson, spokesperson of the club.
After ending as runners-up in the inaugural BNL Ladies Championship, the ladies’ Mountaineers (2022) teams arrived in JHB as one of the favourites. The first game was against Limpopo Pride and won 75-54.
“The starting five of Lerato Ngakane, Corinne Moussi, Dineo Fanampe, Talita Menami and Buyiswa Gwangwa gelled quite well. Talita Memani won the MVP award with 17 points, four assists and seven rebounds.
“Our second game was against the Free State Warriors and this game too was an easy one for us. Our bench players like Kesha Richards and Asa Nongwenda had the opportunity to shine as they dominated the competition. Richards handling the rebounds, Nongwenda running the opening court. Buyiswa Gwangwa winning MVP scoring 15 points, two assists and three rebounds. Mountaineers won 79-29,” he says.
Their next opponents were KwaZulu Marlins and yet again the team showed class and depth.
Another new cap, 17-year-old Suzy Whall, also proved that she is a potentially high-quality player. Point guard Mihlali Mpako, always ready to jump in and take on the defence, played really well, also taking a few nasty falls. Dineo Fanampe winning MVP scoring 13 points three assists and two rebounds. Mountaineers won the game 69 to 42.
“In our final game in the round robin, we played against Mpumalanga Rhinos and came through winning the game convincingly. By this stage Coach, Nathaly September had managed the players well, by making regular substitutions and giving some of the new players an extra run. In the starting line-up Gwangwa, as a newcomer, also proved her worth as well as Chauness Goliath, Cleo Matheyse and Thina Campbell. Corinne Moussi won the MVP scoring 20 points, three assists and 15 rebounds. The final score was Mountaineers 76 to 41.
“The semi-final was a repeat of last year’s final against Tshwane Suns, where they beat us by 1 point. This time around, we managed to come good and again it was a polished all-around team performance. Gwangwa winning her second MVP scoring 12 points, nine rebounds and one block. Mountaineers won 51 to 50,” he says.
The final was a tough encounter, against Egoli Magic, and Moussi showed her true form, scoring 27 points, one assist, eight rebounds and two blocks. The Mountaineers won 64-58.
At the end of the tournament, Mountaineers had three All-Stars in Talita Menami from UWC, Dineo Fanampe from Stellenbosch University and All-Star and tournament MVP Corinne Moussi from Maties.
The rest of the players for 2022 are Cleo Matheyse from Heideveld, Asa Nongwenda from Phillipi, Talita Memani from Khayelitsha, Mihlali Mpako from Montana, Moussi from Cameroon, residing in Stellenbosch, Chauness Goliath from Heideveld, Dineo Fanampe from Montana, Thina Campbell from Nyanga, Lerato Ngakane from Mbekweni, Suzannah Whall from Somerset West, Kesha Richards from Ravensmead and Buyiswa Gwangwa from Phillipi. The Head Coach Nathaly September is from Paarl, Assistant Coach Craig Daniels is from Montana and Manager Rebecca Msikinya is from Philippi. Alain Robertson, Head of Admin, is from Kraaifontein.
