LAST weekend saw 15 basketball sides from Wangaratta head up the Hume Freeway to participate in the Wodonga Junior Invitational Tournament.
Up against squads from further afield than they’d normally play against, such as Lakes Entrance and Canberra, the tournament was a good chance for the Warriors try new game plans.
The format of the tournament meant pool games would be vital, with limited semi-final matches on the cards – the top team from most groups would head into the grand final.
The under 12 division one boys side had a great tournament, defeating Albury by 10, Canberra Blue by 43, and Yarra-Mul Lakers by 16.
Unfortunately, a 29-42 loss to Wodonga Wolves meant they would finish second on the ladder and miss out on a grand final.
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The under 12 division three boys would face a similar scenario, finishing second overall with a 3-1 record, but missing out on finals.
They played some brilliant basketball, exemplified by a 38-10 whooping of Deni Giants Orange.
Wangaratta’s under 12 division two girls balanced their tournament ledger, finishing mid table with a 2-2 weekend.
The side managed to defeat Wodonga (27-20) and Albury (26-10), but fell to Yarrawonga Mulwala (27-30) and Wagga (24-30).
The under 14 division three boys were imperious in their tournament campaign, accounting for Albury (27-21), Lakes Entrance (52-14) and Tumut (38-24).
However, a five-point defeat to Myrtleford meant they finished second in their group and missed a finals showdown.
The under 14 division two boys recovered well after losing their first match by 10 points to Wodonga Wolves Maroon.
The Warriors downed Albury by 10, Lakes Entrance by 10, and Shepparton by 19, narrowly missing a finals qualification spot.
The under 14 division one girls had a tough tournament, winning just one of their four matches.
The highlight was a gritty and hard-fought win over Yarrawonga Mulwala 13-12.
Their division three counterparts played well all weekend, but didn’t have enough wins to guarantee a finals berth.
The under 16 division three boys copped a few tough results, but will learn from the tournament and grow as players.
Their closest margin was a 16-point loss to Lakes Entrance 17-33.
The under 16 division two boys rebounded from a 34 loss in round one to down Myrtleford 29-24.
However, the rest of the tournament wouldn’t go their way, with losses to Albury (24-50) and Tumut (24-57) seeing them finish towards the bottom of their ladder.
The division one under 16 side would record one win from their four matches, a nail-biting one point win over Canberra 29-28.
Wangaratta’s under 16 division one girls team would have an interesting tournament, backing up a four point loss to Wodonga with a shellacking of Canberra by 33 points, 39-6.
They’d then draw with a strong Bendigo Braves outfit 23-23, before falling to Swan Hill by nine points.
The under 16 girls division two side would finish in the middle of their table, with two wins and two losses from their weekend’s exploits.
The boys under 18 division two team were around the mark all tournament, but finished fifth overall with a 2-2 record, with the division one team facing a similar end result.
Due to a limited number of entries, Wangaratta’s under 18 division one girls team did make a semi final.
However, a tough tournament for them continued, unable to record a win.
