The Deni Junior Giants made their mark at the Wangaratta Junior Basketball Tournament held November 15-16, with teams from under-12 to under-18 stepping up across a highly competitive weekend.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Across all teams, the Giants showed great growth, teamwork, and determination.
Every player contributed, from strong starts to key defensive plays, making it a great weekend of basketball.
This was particularly the case with the younger age groups, who were really turning it on.
Under-12 boys Black stormed through the rounds with tight defence and smart ball movement.
They recorded strong wins over the Mansfield Eagles (40-34), Yarra-Mul Lakers (55-26), Tumut Timberwolves (52-25) and Echuca Pirates (48-20).
They met Mansfield again in the grand final, with the Eagles determined to even the ledger and coming out firing.
Coach Brett MacDonald urged the boys to stay confident and apply full-court pressure, and the Giants responded.
Unfortunately, the shots just wouldn’t drop, and the team finished runners-up after a fantastic effort, 36-41.
Kayden Atley earned Tournament Award honours for his consistency, defensive work, and on-court leadership.
Under-14 boys Black mirrored the success, going undefeated in a series of highly skilled and hard-fought round games.
They secured wins over the Yarra-Mul Lakers (38-33), Wodonga Wolves (33-30), Tumut Timberwolves (30-24) and Mansfield Eagles (60-16).
In the grand final, they once again faced the Timberwolves, who were eager to turn the tables after their earlier loss.
Tumut’s defensive pressure made space difficult to find, but the Giants fought to the final moments.
They produced their most determined quarter in the last, showing heart, resilience and strong teamwork.
Despite their efforts, they went down 20-29.
Charlie Murray’s relentless defence and effort earned him well-deserved recognition as Player of the Tournament.
The under-12 girls put together a determined weekend, securing wins over the Tumut Timberwolves (13-10), Yarra-Mul Lakers Blue (25-17) and Yarra-Mul Lakers Gold (18-8).
Their only loss was against the Benalla Breakers (7-18).
Their relentless hustle, smart passing, and strong defensive intensity were standout features, with Remy Tremble shining through her shooting, rebounding, and tireless energy.
Both under-14s girls teams gave their all across the weekend.
Under-14 girls Black competed strongly, but weren’t able to capitalise until late, falling to the Tumut Timberwolves, Bayaderra, Wodonga Wolves and Echuca Pirates.
The girls were well in each contest up to three-quarter time before the games slipped away in the final term.
Under-14 girls Orange enjoyed an exciting weekend, securing their first win of the tournament season with a 21-10 victory over the Yarra-Mul Lakers and showing great improvement across their remaining three games against Benalla and Echuca teams.
Bailee Dunn (U14 Black) and Chloe Marshall (U14 Orange) took home top awards for their outstanding contributions.
The U12 Boys Development and U14 Boys Development squads both made significant strides across the weekend.
The U12 Development Boys grew in confidence with each match, highlighted by an exciting 33-15 performance against Corryong - their closest and strongest game of the season so far.
Their efforts were capped by Logan Littmann receiving the Berrima Engineering Award for his energy and defensive pressure.
The U14 Development Boys also showed strong resilience and commitment, securing a thrilling 32-26 win over the Echuca Pirates and displaying improved consistency in their remaining three games.
Coach Dimity Strongman is confident the group is not far away from adding more wins to their season.
Angus Priest earned recognition for his reliable two-way effort.
The under-16 girls had a mixed weekend.
In their opening round against Myrtleford, the game was tightly contested for three quarters before the opposition pulled away in the final term, with the Giants going down 36-21.
They bounced back strongly in round two with a 41-17 win over Wangaratta, followed by a loss to Echuca (51-20), and finished the tournament with a solid 36-25 win against the Wolves.
Jorja Woolston’s fearless defence and clutch play earned her Match Player of the Tournament, while her teammates contributed with strong rebounding, forced turnovers, and consistent intensity throughout every game.
Meanwhile, the under-16 boys entertained with high-energy basketball and tough defensive pressure.
On the Saturday of the tournament, they secured two outstanding wins over Myrtleford (60-38) and Wangaratta (41-26).
With an undermanned squad on the Sunday, the competition proved tougher, but the boys showed great teamwork and commitment.
Although they were unable to claim a win on day two, they were gallant in defeat against the Echuca Pirates (33-54) and Wodonga Wolves (35-40).
Ryan Bulmer earned Player of the Tournament for his all-round excellence.
The under-18 boys faced a challenging but growth-filled tournament.
They edged out Shepparton 29-26 after a slow start in game one, but fell to Myrtleford (46-32) following a difficult third quarter.
Tumut got the better of them in game three (45-24) despite strong defensive adjustments, and Tatura’s hot three-point shooting proved too much in a 62-25 loss.
The weekend offered valuable learning opportunities, with individual improvement evident and a clear focus on understanding each player’s role.
Spencer Cowley earned the Tournament Award for his leadership and strong performance.
The under-18 girls faced one of the toughest draws of the weekend, coming off a grand final appearance in Swan Hill only to meet the ‘Wolf Pack’ in all three of their early games — the Wolves’ u18 Division 1 and 2 sides, and the U16 Div 1 side.
The opposition’s depth proved difficult to contain, but the Giants stuck to their style, competed with determination, and kept pushing until the final whistle.
Their final match against Corryong was a tightly contested battle, with chances late in the game, but the girls fell just short in a 29-28 nail-biter.
The Tournament Award went to Addi Hussey.
The Giants are looking forward to building on these performances, continuing to work on their skills in the coming months ahead of their next tournament in February 2026.