A WHOPPING 311/2 hours of treading the boards and defying blisters, sleep deprivation, muscle cramps and sheer exhaustion paid dividends for the Hawkesbury District Basketball Association when it smashed the Australian record for the longest continuous basketball game.

The record attempt at the Hawkesbury Indoor Stadium was only meant to be 30 hours, but was extended when the original record, held by a town in Victoria, was broken in Queensland a week ago.

And the 24 junior players rose to the challenge.

The 12-16 year-olds showed determination and stamina beyond their years and simply kept finding another gear, especially when the siren sounded to mark first the 24-hour milestone and then the passing of the old record at 30 hours and five minutes, with all players taking a turn on the court in the last half an hour before an exhausted but delighted crowd and support staff helped them count down the last 10 seconds to the final siren.

For the record, Migs defeated Learjets 2736-1919 but, according to media relations officer Rae Kutzer, the score was the last thing on anyone’s mind.

“In real terms 90 minutes isn’t much but when the 12-16 year-old players are barely mobile due to blisters, cramped muscles and sleep deprivation, it’s massive,” she said.

“The challenge wasn’t ever about competition – it was about the endurance to play to the end when every player’s body screamed to stop.

“To break the record is a huge achievement for the players and one they will never forget, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the round-the-clock efforts from HDBA members and friends acting as referees, scorers, medical assistants and caterers, among others.”

But while the Australian record now belongs in the HDBA’s possession, it’s not the end of the road for the association, with another 24 players from the Harrier and Mirage teams testing their mettle in a simultaneous match in a bid to convince selectors they should be considered to take part in an assault on the Guinness Book of World Records at Easter.

The 24 players (below) were: Migs: Miles Sneddon, Mackenzie Lawrence, Andee Kutzer, Claire Stafford, Rebecca Gorman, Erica Sutherland, Josh Chamberlain, Giles King, Linden Pollard, Cory Eather, Will Pickard, Joel Lyons, Cleo Pickard (coach). Learjets: Brett Harcombe, Erin Hodkinson, Lucy Kutzer, Brilee Wood, Taylor Galea, Katelyn Eather, Shelby Flood, Crystal Meale, Luke Bailey, Cameron Harris, Zach Mitchell, Jesse Brown, Mark Kutzer (coach).