Naracoorte Tournament 2020

Another weekend and another great opportunity for the Mount Gambier Lakers Basketball teams to hit the court and develop their skills and understanding of basketball in a fun environment with their teammates.

The U14 Girls division one side worked their way to the grand final which gave them another opportunity to face Portland who had defeated them in their earlier encounter. The game looked to be headed to a similar result with the girls trailing by 10 with six minutes to go in the game. An inspired team defensive effort turned the game on its head and momentum was firmly with the Lakers. With 9 seconds to go and the Lakers down by 2 the ball found its way to Cara Nulty on the three-point line, not afraid of the moment Cara took and made the three-point shot to give her side the one-point lead and win.

Another team to have championship success was the U16 division 1 girls, they went undefeated in their four team competition and were simply too much for the Bordertown team they faced in the final game winning by 19 points. Alyssa Duncan and Ellie Bouchier both had strong scoring games reaching double figures each in the grand final.

It was more grand final success for the U16 division 2 boys team who have been training hard. The division 2 team was in a combined division 1 and 2 competition meaning they got some valuable experience playing against some division one competition. Once the divisions were sorted they had worked their way to the final of the division 2 grade, matching up with a Bordertown team they had previously beaten convincingly, the result would be the same in the final with the Lakers side running away with a 17 point win.

The U12 division one boys were boosted with the return of Easton Exelby for this tournament however struggled with consistency across their games. They had some great moment on both ends of the floor but struggled to maintain the level of focus required. The boys however continue to be very enthusiasm for each other and showing great resilience each tournament.

A very successful tournament was had by the U14 division 3 Lakers team who started with a 40 all draw against Keith and followed that up with two wins to gain entry into the semi final round. Horsham was waiting for them in the semi finals and the opportunity to play against some tough opposition was great for the side even though they fell short on the scoreboard. This is a side that is really coming together at the right time.

The U16 D2 Girls side started of with a draw against Millicent, showing great improvement on both ends of the court, Ambah Beveridge and Kate Dyson scoring 8 points each to lead their team. The next three games were great development opportunities for the girls as the struggled to get the points on the board to be competitive.

It was a massive Saturday for the U14 division 2 girls who had 4 games in the one day! The team had wins over Bordertown and Millicent but fell short in the semi final to Horsham. They finished the tournament on Sunday with a two pint win over the home team Naracoorte.

U12 Jenna Baron had a great tournament and had to fight some nerves before the U12 Girls Division 1 Grand Final against Bordertown ‘It was great getting in to the grand final, I felt nervous and excited before the game.’ The girls had a great tournament experience including an over time thriller against Millicent in the semi-finals. Although the girls did not come away with the grand final win, they showed development in their skills and teamwork.

Another side to make the grand final was the U14 Division 2 boys. It was a successful tournament that included some nail biting finishes, including a 2-point victory over Casterton in their opening game. A well drilled Horsham team was waiting for them in the final, while the Lakers team had some moments the Horsham side played well and ran away with the victory.

 

The U14 Division boys also made it through to the grand final where they faced off with Millicent, it took a one-point thrilling victory over Naracoorte to get to there. While the boys did not get over the line they will no doubt have learnt a lot and are in great shape going into the Adelaide tournament.

The U12 division 2 boys and girls continued to develop their skills and understanding of the game, the girls team having one of their most successful tournaments to date scoring in double figures 3 out of 4 games including a 24 point performance against Portland. The boys side had a tournament full of nail biters with 4 out their 5 games decided by 3 points or less. They came away with three wins and a great experience.

The Lakers teams will be hitting the training track with their final Adelaide tournaments firmly in their sights.