Live stream: Marsden girls relishing shot at Championship title in 2023 Basketball Australia Schools Championships

‘This isn’t just about basketball, it’s about life lessons.’ Marsden has a spot among the big guns at the BA Schools Championships - and it shouldn’t be a surprise. See who else is in the top division.

The early mornings and all the extras have paid off for the history-making girls at Marsden State High.

The team, coached by former New Zealand Tall Fern Charmian Mellars, has earned a wildcard entry into the Championship division at the Basketball Australia Schools Championships later this month.

Every match of the Championship division and select other games will be exclusively live streamed on KommunityTV and News Corp Australia mastheads as part of our coverage of the championships from November 27-December 1.

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Marsden girls team are wildcard entrants in the Championship division.

It is the first time in the school’s history that Marsden will have a team in the Championship division, and the occasion has not been lost on the squad.

“These girls have made history, but it hasn’t just happened overnight,” Mellars said.

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“These kids have put in some hard work. My girls have been getting up early every Tuesday and Thursday to do gym sessions with me. The gym sessions are compulsory, then there are skills sessions and shooting sessions and then they have to do their own thing away from school.

“The thing we have been trying to change is the importance of attendance, academic achievement and effort in the classroom. Excellence is a behaviour that happens always, you can’t just turn it on and off when you feel.

Marsden are up against the big guns.

“This isn’t just about basketball, it’s about life lessons for these kids.”

Marsden is one of four schools who have been awarded wildcard entries into the Championship division at the Basketball Australia Schools Championships.

The school side will be joined by fellow girls wildcard winners Barker College from NSW, while the boys wildcard spots went to Victoria’s Berwick College and NSW high performers Newington College.

Marsden finished with the silver medal in the Under-20s Division 1 tournament last year, falling to Sydney side Westfields Sports High, who will also compete in the Championship division in 2023.

The Championships division is made up of the top schools teams from each state as well as the four wildcard entries.

Mellars said she knows her girls will be up against the best school sides in the nation, an opportunity they were relishing.

“I never go into games thinking I am not going to win,” she said. “I reckon anyone is beatable on their day.

“We are going up against the best of the best. It will be a challenging road but the group of girls are incredibly passionate.

“Though they may not all be identified by Queensland basketball or other state programs, my girls are at a pretty solid level where I know they can compete against the best.”

Check out which schools will compete in Championship division below.