Basketball Ballarat's junior elite teams claimed four championships at the annual Bendigo Classic tournament at the weekend.
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Four days after Alex Molan, Ned Renfree, Riley Dunn, Lucas Impey, Jemma Amoore, Milly Sharp and Emily Lewis (emergency) were named in the under-18 Victoria Country sides, the under-18 boys and girls teams saluted in close grand finals.
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Amoore was the hero against Warrnambool in the girls' decider, hitting a one-footed, transition three at the buzzer to win the game.
The Miners managed to get a defensive stop with a handful of seconds remaining.
With one side of the court filled with players and the Miners with the ball, Amoore ventured down the open side, caught a cross-court pass, made her way past a defender and heaved a last-second shot for the win.
"We had a great tournament, each game the girls got better as a team and culminated in the grand final win," coach Daniel Knaggs said.
"Warrnambool really took control of the (final) and lead by 12 early, but we just stuck to the game plan and chipped away and with a 22-12 last quarter we were able to come over the top."
The title finished off a dominant tournament for the side, the girls undefeated with an average winning margin of 23.67 points across six games.
The boys started their tournament off with a three-point loss to Warrnambool. They rebounded with six-straight wins by an average margin of 21.67 points, including a 12-point grand final win over Geelong.
"The boys had a great weekend, we lost our first game, but we refocused on the next game and lifted our defence which carried through the rest of the games and into the grand final," coach Chris Thornton said.
"We have had an interrupted pre-season with COVID disruptions ... but this was a great weekend for us, coming up against some zone defences which will hold us in really good stead heading into the Country Championships in a few weeks."
The under-16 girls brushed off a 10-point loss to Geelong in their opening game to win four of their next five contests.
Their semi final and grand final wins could not have been closer.
Facing Warrnambool in a semi final, the side pulled out a four-point win.
The grand final match-up was much of the same, Ballarat able to rebound from an eight-point loss to Bendigo earlier in the tournament to win 64-60.
The under-14 boys dominated the competition on their way to a 22-point win over Bendigo in a grand final.
An opening game draw with Warrnambool was the only blemish on their results.
They continued on to win six-straight games to round out the tournament, with an average winning margin of 21.17 points.
The under-12 and under-14 girls and under-16 boys won through to their respective grand finals.
The under-16 boys and girls second sides made their respective finals series.
"There was a great sense of one club over the weekend with players, coaching staff and parents supporting other teams when they had breaks from their own games," elite teams chair Cameron Moore said.
Under-18 girls results (Championship division)
Round one - bye
Round two - defeated Mildura 52-37
Round three - defeated Wodonga 51-22
Round four - defeated Warrnambool 66-46
Round five - defeated Horsham 81-40
Semi final - defeated Geelong 63-30
Grand final - defeated Warrnambool 57-53
Under-18 boys results (Championship division)
Round one - bye
Round two - defeated by Warrnambool 56-59
Round three - defeated Wodonga 60-51
Round four - defeated Colac 88-40
Round five - defeated Mildura 78-55
Quarter final - defeated Shepparton 55-28
Semi final - defeated Bendigo 55-44
Grand final - defeated Geelong 74-62
Under-18 boys results (Division one)
Round one - defeated by Sunbury 29-30
Round two - defeated by Yarra-Mul 35-48
Round three - defeated by Benalla 38-46
Round four - defeated by Seymour 33-53
Round five - defeated Echuca 50-39
Under-16 girls results (Championship division)
Round one - defeated by Geelong 41-51
Round two - defeated Bullen 55-36
Round three - defeated Shepparton 70-29
Round four - defeated by Bendigo 57-65
Semi final - defeated Warrnambool 50-46
Grand final - defeated Bendigo 64-60
Under-16 girls results (Division two)
Round one - Ballarat 14 v Geelong (4) 12
Round two - defeated Wangaratta 31-16
Round three - defeated Sunbury 29-16
Round four - defeated by Rochy 17-20
Round five - defeated Warrnambool 36-16
Semi final - defeated Echuca 24-20
Under-16 boys results (Championship division)
Round one - bye
Round two - defeated Shepparton 64-54
Round three - defeated Horsham 68-36
Round four - defeated Wodonga 61-55
Round five - defeated by Bendigo 38-72
Round six - defeated Warrnambool 68-47
Round seven - defeated by Mildura 42-43
Semi final - defeated Mildura 52-47
Grand final - defeated by Bendigo 41-67
Under-16 boys results (Division one)
Round one - defeated Bacchus Marsh 35-29
Round two - defeated by Mansfield 21-33
Round three - defeated Rochy 63-36
Round four - defeated by Traralgon 22-33
Round five - defeated Echuca 31-27
Quarter final - defeated by Hamilton 25-37
Under-14 girls results (Championship division)
Round one - defeated by Sale 48-52
Round two - defeated by Warrnambool 38-43
Round three - defeated Sunbury 86-not provided
Round four - bye
Round five - defeated Wodonga 61-36
Semi final - defeated Geelong 55-53
Grand final - defeated by Warrnambool 37-52
Under-14 girls results (Division one)
Round one - defeated Echuca 18-10
Round two - bye
Round three - defeated Wangaratta 27-26
Round four - defeated Mildura (forfeit)
Round five - defeated by Horsham 19-29
Semi final - defeated by Bacchus Marsh 9-15
Under-14 boys results (Championship division)
Round one - drew with Warrnambool 46-46
Round two - defeated Colac 79-48
Round three - defeated Bendigo 60-52
Round four - defeated Geelong 68-39
Round five - defeated Traralgon 59-50
Semi final - defeated Geelong 62-34
Grand final - defeated Bendigo 63-41
Under-14 boys results (Division one)
Round one - defeated by Wodonga 13-35
Round two - defeated by Warrnambool 18-41
Round three - defeated Echuca 23-19
Round four - defeated by Sunbury 12-15
Round five - defeated by Horsham 24-38
Under-12 girls results (Championship division)
Round one - defeated by Wodonga 13-22
Round two - defeated by Colac 16-30
Round three - bye
Round four - defeated Swan Hill 16-15
Round five - defeated Portland 17-8
Semi final - defeated Horsham 37-13
Grand final - defeated by Colac 13-16
Under-12 girls results (Division two)
Round one - defeated by Melton 12-35
Round 2 - defeated Wodonga 9-4
Round 3 - defeated by Bacchus Marsh 9-24
Round 4 - defeated by MRBA 7-18
Round 5 - defeated by Mildura 8-17
Under-12 boys results (Championship division)
Round one - defeated by Bendigo 18-42
Round two - defeated by Warrnambool 33-61
Round three - defeated by Sunbury 41-53
Round four - defeated by Mildura 39-75
Round five - defeated Shepparton 41-28
Under-12 boys results (Division two)
Round one - defeated by Wangaratta 27-34
Round two - bye
Round three - defeated Colac 34-6
Round four - defeated by Mildura 21-22
Round five - defeated MRBA 22-8
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