The Deni Junior Giants wrapped up the 2022/23 season at the weekend with the under-12s and under-14s teams participating in the Wangaratta tournament played in Wodonga.
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The under-14s boys put in another solid performance over the weekend with two wins and two losses.
Game one was a tough start for the boys up against the strength and height of Wodonga Wolves, with the Wolves taking out a convincing win.
Game two against Shepparton Gators saw the boys regroup, with all contributing to gain a solid win 53-24.
The boys knew game three against Seymour was going to be a hard task and struggled to play their best game, going down 36-57.
The last game for the tournament had spectators on the edge of their seats.
It was a close encounter for the entire game against the Echuca Pirates.
Echuca brought the pressure defensively, but the Giants played some of their best basketball, taking a nail biting win.
The under-14s girls were coached by Brendan Willoughby at this tournament and he was impressed by their improvement and commitment.
Wodonga are always a strong outfit in every game and even harder to play game one.
The girls started strongly playing solid defence.
Unfortunately the ball just didn’t want to fall when the opportunity was there and they went down by nine points, 28-19.
Game two was against Benalla Breakers.
The girls found their rhythm straight up, and showed off their improved basketball skills and team work with a win, 41-20.
Game three was against Wangaratta Warriors, whom they had faced over the last couple of tournaments.
They worked hard, changed a few things up but couldn’t quite get there and went down 24-15.
The small pool meant that the girls reached the semi-finals against Myrtleford.
They were thrilled to be in a final and adrenaline was running high.
Sheer determination and grit ensured a win, the final score 21-16.
This win saw the girls progress to the quarter finals against the ‘Wolf Pack’.
The girls got off to a good start but the opposition quickly changed their game play.
Deni’s shooting accuracy let them down and this allowed the Wolf Pack to get away and win 32-13.
Unfortunately the under-12s boys weren’t able to get a win over the weekend.
A couple of 8am starts, injuries and a strong draw didn’t go their way.
Wodonga Wolves were first up. Deni started slowly, with the Wolves taking advantage and getting a convincing lead that couldn’t be reigned in.
Game two was exciting against Wangaratta Warriors, which had the boys leading most of the game.
They fell short when Wangaratta’s shooting fell right when it mattered.
Game three was against an unknown Echuca Pirates side, but Deni stepped up.
A player down and an injury in the first three minutes left the Giants with only six players to finish the game.
The boys put up a gallant fight, going down by five points.
Another 8am Sunday game didn’t do the Giants any favours, with Benalla taking an early lead.
The Giants did take the lead momentarily in the first half but were unable to maintain it. Foul trouble in the second half allowed Benalla the win.
The under-12s boys development lost their first game to a strong, well-drilled Wodonga Wolves outfit followed by a second lost to Yarra- Mul, 11-55.
The first two losses didn’t dampen the boys’ spirits, and they were keen for a win.
They displayed great team work and put all their passing techniques into play, ensuring a comfortable win over Tumut Timberwolves, 22-10.
Game four was a nail biter.
The young Giants got the early lead only to let Albury sneak back in the second half.
In the last 10 seconds, the Giants had the ball up our end but the ball rimmed out on the siren, giving Albury the one point win.
The under-12s girls started slow in game one before finding some rhythm.
Unfortunately they had given the Wodonga Wolves too much of a head start and went down 34-18.
The silver lining was it was Deni’s highest score of the year.
Game two was tough against a well-drilled and tall Benalla team, who won 49-3.
The last game of the day saw the girls try really hard and although disappointed with the loss, the score did not reflect the endeavour and effort.
The girls again played good basketball with plenty of scoring opportunity but just could not convert, going down to Mansfield.
The Deni Junior Giants will wrap up their season with presentation night next Friday.
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