The Echuca Pirates won the under-16 boys division one Wodonga junior basketball tournament. Photos: EMBA.
Junior tournament season is well under way for the Echuca Pirates, local squads having played at the Wodonga Basketball Tournament last weekend.
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In a great turnout for the local club, 18 Pirates squads, ranging from under-12s to under-18s, battled over Saturday, February 8 and Sunday, February 9 against regional clubs from Victoria and NSW.
The starring performances came from a pair of Pirates under-16 boys teams, Echuca winning both division one and two in the category.
The division one under-16s dominated the tournament, winning all four round matches before defeating the host, Wodonga, 45-28 in the final.
Division two had a slightly rougher road to the championship, drawing its first game of the tournament and escaping by one point in another.
The side had the quality to progress to the final as the only unbeaten team, battling past Wodonga 49-46 in the final to earn the championship.
The under-16 boys division two demonstrated the Pirates’ strength in the age group, also taking out the title.
The Pirates under-18 girls division one side made it to the semi-finals after finishing second in the group stage, but went down to Coburg 29-20.
As many grades featured two pools, only the top one or two in each progressed, meaning a near-perfect record was required to advance.
Three other Echuca squads just missed out on a finals place, finishing third in their group.
The under-16 and under-18 boys and girls have the junior country championships coming up this weekend as they battle for rankings against the best country basketball associations in the state.
Napier to continue national championships journey
Elise Napier will don the Vic Country jersey again in 2025, selected as a bottom-ager for the under-18 national championships. Photo: Supplied.
After making an impact at the under-16 national championships in 2024, Echuca basketballer Elsie Napier is set to repeat the feat at the under-18 level in 2025.
Team lists for the under-18 national championships, to be held in Brisbane from April 5 to 13, were announced on January 31, with Napier impressively earning selection as a bottom-age prospect.
At the under-16 championships last July, Napier put in plenty of strong performances, including a 25-point and 18-rebound double-double against Vic Metro.
The Echuca centre was also a key piece in the Victorian Junior Basketball League 3, scoring 153 points for the North East (now Wangaratta) Bushrangers, the fifth most in the league.
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