Basketball Mount Gambier Junior Lakers teams continued their successes in Tournaments this season by winning three of the eight Division 1 age group competitions in the 2013 Portland Junior South West Classic last weekend.

The Lakers Under 18 Girls maintained their unbeaten Tournament record by defeating the talented Warrnambool side in a high standard final. The game was rated as the best of the Tournament and proved to be a fitting finale to a busy weekend. Australian junior squad member Annie Blackburn led Warrnambool in a blazing start to set up a 15-3 score-line. Not to be denied the Lakers girls worked hard within their team structures to close the gap and eventually set up the final score of 50-43. All Lakers players played very well, on the back of an outstanding performance by Georgia Green, who closed down Blackburn in defence and was pivotal in offence. Green was consequently named MVP of the final. Coach Trevor Semmens described the final as the best game the team has played since he has been coach.

Lakers Under 18 Boys Coach, Ray deWit, praised his side for their consistently strong performances during the weekend. He anticipated meeting arch rival, Warrnambool, in the final but Portland defeated Warrnambool by 2 in the semi-final. Portland continued their momentum for the first half of the final before the Lakers took complete control and ran out easy winners, 69-39. First Year player Braiden Ousey received the MVP for his contributions off the bench.

The Lakers Under 16 Girls breezed through their minor round games to set up a final contest against the highly fancied Horsham. The game was a typical final, tough with baskets hard to come by. Rachael Hines did a sterling job as on court leader. Horsham led narrowly midway through the second half when Coach Bryan Green made a change, which saw Megan Hein score several baskets quickly and give the Lakers the lead. From here on the Lakers extended the margin to 9, 37-28, at the final siren. Hein was named MVP of the final.

Two other Lakers teams, Under 12 and 14 Girls, played off in semi-finals. The Under 14 Girls lost to Maryborough and the Under 12 Girls went down to Warrnambool after having beaten them by 3 in a minor round game.