THE Mount Gambier Under 16 boys Division 2 junior Lakers basketball team was unbeaten in the recent Naracoorte junior basketball tournament, which was used as preparation for the upcoming 2019 South Australian Country Junior Championships.
The successful weekend culminated with a 57-50 win over Naracoorte in the final, which followed strong wins over Portland, Great Southern, Naracoorte and Keith, while the Under 16 girls Division 1 team finished runners-up to Millicent in their campaign.
Seven junior Lakers teams will travel to Adelaide this weekend to compete in the first-leg of the 2019 South Australian Country Junior Championships.
This weekend is stage one of the championships, where the Lakers will hope to win the most Division 1 games and therefore defend the annual John Spooner award for the fourth consecutive year.
The Lakers will field five Under 14 teams, with two girls’ squads coached by Dan Collins and Felicity Clayton, while the three boys’ sides have Robbie Young, Matt Ray and Kym Hammond at the helm.
The Trisha Flett Memorial Trophy will be awarded to the most valuable player in the Under 14 girls Division 1 competition this weekend.
Flett was a junior player who represented both Mount Gambier and South Australian Country in Under 14 teams.
Bryan Green is in charge of the Lakers Under 18 girls’ team, which will compete in a four-team competition against Mildura, Strathalbyn and Whyalla over a span of three days.
Under the guidance of Matt Berkefeld, the Lakers Under 18 boys’ side will play in a seven-team tournament against Barossa Valley, Mildura and Yorke Valley, before cross-over games against Great Southern, Eastern Hills and Millicent.
The 2019 South Australian Country Junior Championships will be played at Wayville, Pasadena and Campbelltown which will begin on Saturday morning and finish with grand finals on Monday.
