Deni Junior Giants are back

They also posted a close three point loss to Griffith Demons.

The under-18 boys started slowly and you could tell a two month break and limited full team training had hindered their preparation.

With grit and determination they held onto a two point win over Yarra- Mul, 17-15.

Game two was much the same but teamwork was starting to show.

The boys all seemed a bit worried about taking on Mansfield, and when they hit two three-pointers with their first shots the boys knew they had to step it up.

With some great passages of play, Deni had a three point win over Mansfield, 28-25.

They combined well with shots falling to have a solid 51-36 win over Benalla.

On Sunday, Deni came up against second placed Griffith. Neither side had dropped a game this tournament.

Griffith started strong getting out to a 9-0 lead before the Giants decided it was time to play.

The defensive pressure was high at both ends of the court and it was going to be an offensive teams game.

The Giants fell just four points short, 35-31.

The under-18 girls were unable to come away with a win over the weekend, going down to old foe Griffith in game one, 30-21.

Game two was against Wodonga, who were too strong at their home tournament and won 32-10.

Game three saw the girls take on a new team to the tournament, Coburg, who were their strongest opponent. Deni lost 48-12.

In thier last game, the under-18 girls took on Bendigo Braves.

The Braves started strong and were able to hold out the lead, cruising to a 23-13 win.

Bonnie Everett lead the scoring and rejection count while Mia Parks, Emma Parks and Stella White provided defensive pressure.

Hayley Noonan was the surprise packet in game two scoring half of the Giants points

The under-16 boys knew this tournament was going to be tough, and knew they would come up against some big opponents.

First game was against West Wyalong, losing 43-14.

The second game was another loss to Albury, 45-31.

The boys were in it all the way and performed some great passages of play.

The third game was against Wangaratta. Despite showing some great fight Deni lost 38-23.

In Sunday’s game against Wodonga the boys had plenty of the ball, unfortunately their shots just didn’t drop in, going down 63-33.

The under-16 Girls welcomed new coach Maddy Price and three new players to the team for this tournament, and they were set to impress starting off with a 25-14 win over Corryong.

They used the ball well down the court and found the basket with ease.

Rounds two and three unfortunately did not go the same way and resulted in significant losses to Bendigo and Mansfield respectively.

Although round four also resulted in a loss to Wodonga Wolves, 33-12, there were lots of positives to end the tournament with good ball movement and teamwork.

The under-14 boys fought hard for the entire tournament and all four games were close.

The first game against Eltham could have gone either way, but Deni went down by four points, 31-35.

Game two was against Albury, another close game, with boys going down 30-33.

In round three things finally went Giants’ way with another close game against Myrtleford. The boys won 33-27.

Round four was against Lakes Entrance - a tall team with great skill.

The Giants matched them for three quarters, but the Pelicans sealed the win in the final minutes.

The under-14 boys development team showed some improved skills over the tournament weekend including strong defensive pressure resulting in turn overs and scoring opportunities and great sportsmanship.

Although unable to come away with any wins, the team is implementing their training drills, learning and improving with every game.

With improved shooting accuracy they will not be far away from wins in coming tournaments.

The under-14 girls started with a high pressure nail biter to Wangaratta, losing by only one point after they got into foul trouble.

Game two and three were against the strength of Albury and West Wyalong. Each resulted in losses but there was improved defensive pressure.

The final game saw the under-14 girls finish with a hard fought seven point win over Myrtleford, where they showcased their strong drives to the ring.

The under-12 boys had a solid tournament after a few months away from basketball.

Game one against Wagga Heat saw the boys with plenty of the ball and lots of shots, but unfortunately they were unable to covert and went down 11-15.

In game two they implemented some strong trapping defence, resulting in lots of turnovers and goals.

They let the Wildcats back in the second half but held on to win a one point nail biter.

Game three and four resulted in losses to Bendigo and Wangaratta.

The under-12 boys development team started the tournament with a loss against the strength of Bendigo Braves, but they didn’t let that set the tone for the rest of the tournament.

The boys fought back in their second game against Tumut Timberwolves, going down by a narrow three point margin.

Game three on Sunday was against new team Lakes Entrance.

Deni moved the ball well and their defensive play was the best they have shown all season, resulting in a 20-14 win.

They were on a roll and coming up against Mansfield in the last game of the tournament and kept the momentum going to have their biggest win, 26-14.

Under-12 girls played exceptionally well considering they were playing a division higher and against a lot of top age girls.

Welcome inclusions to the Wodonga tournament were Meg Meharry and Rory Dean.

Although the girls were unable to come away with a win, they have all shown improved ball handling skills, finding it easier to move the ball down the court under pressure and playing out the entire game.

The girls played Shepparton (12-4), West Wyalong (18-5), Yarra- Mul (21-5) and Myrtleford (26-2).

Nine Deni Junior Giants teams will travel to Maryborough this weekend for the first time in Giants history.