The Warrnambool Basketball Association, one of the power houses of Victorian Country Basketball, dominated the twenty one divisions of competitions in the 2015 City of Mount Gambier Junior Basketball Tournament conducted at ten courts within the city.

Warrnambool won seven of the age groups, including three Division 1 titles, Under 18 Men, Under 12 Boys and Under 14 Boys.

Mount Gambier Lakers won three divisions. The Under 12 Girls defeated Millicent 48-25. This win is most impressive when one takes into account their previous grand final encounter which the Lakers won by a point with a score in the dying seconds. Coach Peter Duncan is doing a great job in encouraging the players to master the fundamentals of the game and grasping an understanding of team principles.

The Under 16 Girls Division 1 team, coached by Dan Stratford, maintained their unbeaten record making it three wins from three Tournaments. The grand final result was Lakers 25 defeated Murray Bridge 22. The Lakers scored comfortable wins over Millicent Warrnambool and Strathalbyn but was pushed by Murray Bridge in the minor rounds.

Depth in talent and strong work in the keyway were crucial factors in a most impressive team performance. 

The Lakers under 14 Boys Division 2 team, coached by Malinda Markiewicz, competed in one of the most even divisions of the Tournament. The majority of games had final margins of single figures. They scored four wins and drew with Bordertown.

Warrnambool finished second and played off against the Lakers in the grand final.

The final was a thriller with the Lakers winning 32-30. Lewis Stratford, Josh Holmes and Joel Griffith were the leaders in games in which all players contributed.

Mount Gambier’s Under 14 Boys Division 1 side was beaten in the grand final on the buzzer 28-30 by a tenacious Warrnambool side, who clawed their way back into the game after the Lakers had set up an early lead.

The Lakers Under 18 Men Division 2, coached by Tom Daly, was the hard luck story of the Tournament. They lost 35-41 to Strathalbyn in the minor round and then could not reverse the result in the grand final. 

The 2015 Tournament was again a most successful event. There are many factors responsible for its continued success. The most important factor being the magnificent efforts of Basketball Mount Gambier volunteers. The feeling of positivity, working together and spontaneously helping out where needed throughout the weekend contributed to this resounding success.

The work done by volunteers in preparation for the weekend laid the foundation for the event to be well run and the many hundreds of visitors made feel welcome. The support of local business houses in sponsoring the competitions and the assistance and cooperation of the schools in the use of their basketball facilities contributed to the successes.

Another important factor was the spirit in which games were played. While teams competed hard and showed a consistent determination to win, players displayed good sportsmanship and respect for opponents. Special mention was made of the positive spirit in which the Under 12 Boys’ Division 1 grand final was played between Warrnambool and Forestville.

Overall the standard of play and refereeing was also most pleasing.

Many visiting Associations have communicated their thanks and appreciation to Basketball Mount Gambier for the weekend and indicated that they will be competing in the 2016 Tournament being staged over the weekend of November 19^th and 20^th.