Under-14s bring home the win from Shepparton

In a display of skill, teamwork, and determination, the under-14 girls emerged victorious, in a thrilling grand final against the Bendigo Braves.

The Giants started their journey in the first round, facing off against the Rochy Tigers.

Jorja Woolston set the tone by netting the first goal of the tournament while Ava Braybon’s strength under the boards, coupled with the assistance of Zoe Harvey, led to a convincing 40-9 victory.

Round two saw the Giants clash with the Echuca Pirates.

Stellar performances from Lara Horne, Stella Andrews, and Lexi Butcher contributed to a commanding 46-12 win.

Saturday afternoon’s round three battle against the Mansfield Eagles showcased Stella Chadderton’s dynamic play, propelling the Giants to a 38-21 triumph.

Sunday brought a re-match with the Echuca Pirates, where Lilly Boyer and Nina Glowrey emerged as joint top scorers, securing a 27-point victory for the Giants.

Having dominated their pool, the Giants faced the Bendigo Braves in the grand final.

In a closely contested match, Jorja Woolston once again shone as the first scorer, and Lilly Boyer’s fearless drives to the basket were instrumental.

The first half ended with the Giants leading 7-2.

The game remained a back-and-forth battle, with both teams making strategic plays and creating turnovers.

With five minutes left on the clock, coach Amelia Chalmers called a crucial timeout, urging the girls to play their style of game and dig deep.

The final whistle blew, and the Giants emerged victorious with a final score of 13-8.

Nina Glowrey’s outstanding performance earned her the MVP for the match while the Stubbs Wallace tournament award was presented to Lilly Boyer for her determination.

•••

The under-16s boys also made their way to a grand final appearance after being undefeated through the rounds, however were defeated in a re-match against Bendigo Braves.

Game one was against Wodonga Navy, with whom the boys are developing a small rivalry, and it was a great way to start the tournament.

Chase Bartlett and Jai Park led the way offensively, Jai scoring off cuts to the basket and Chase causing turnovers leading to fast break baskets.

Archer Moodie started at point guard and steered the team around the court with ease.

The Giants boys were too good winning 34-23.

Game two was against an unknown Rochester side, and the boys came out of the gate with a flurry taking an early lead through Jai, Chase and Nick Fanning.

Tom Way and Stuart Benger heaped the pressure on the ball carriers giving them no breathing room.

The Giants were far too strong winning 62-15.

Game three was against Shepparton.

The boys were slightly off in this game and had trouble scoring, but their defence kept them in the game.

Spencer Cowley took this opportunity to lead by example, pulling in some huge rebounds and continuing with silky post moves to help push the game out of Shepparton’s reach.

Shout out to Archer who scored his first points.

Giants won 31-19.

Game four was against an impressive Mansfield team.

This game was a battle in the first half with neither team willing to give the other an opportunity.

Henry Robinson had hurt himself in the first game of the tournament but made a comeback in this game.

He had an instant impact, reducing the panic in Deni’s offence and providing another rebounder.

Chase and Jai stood tall on offence to give Giants the advantage, winning 31-20.

Game five was the top of the table clash against Bendigo.

The game did not disappoint with both sides having a taste of the lead in the first half.

The Giants held a slight lead through points from Jai, Chase and Spencer, and from whole team defence.

The second half was much the same as the first.

Fred Everett dismissed the coach’s instructions and took a drive to the basket, passing off to Nick for a goal.

It worked in his favour and the Giants went through the round games undefeated with a 26-20 win.

Up against Bendigo in the grand final, and with both teams feeling each other out in the previus game it was on from the jump ball.

Spencer lead the way again, scoring eight straight points to give the Giants an early lead.

Jai was cutting hard and was rewarded with free throws.

Bendigo had the pressure on with Archer, Stuart and Henry moving the ball out of Deni’s end with ease.

Bendigo rallied and took the lead with six minutes to go in the first half.

The boys worked hard but Chase and Jai were hampered with early fouls.

Bendigo had the edge at 20-13 at the half break.

The Giants were still in the game though and had to start well.

Nick, Archer and Tom worked overtime on defence to slow Bendigo’s score, with Jai and Spencer finding points.

Fred and Henry had their hands full defending the wings, with Bendigo managing to knock down several three pointers.

In the end it was too much for the Giant’s boys, losing 40-22.

There were a lot of trying times during this grand final, and the boys should hold their heads high for the resilience and determination they showed.

The Menadue Floor Coverings Tournament Award went to Archer Moodie.

He was given the starting point guard role with a focus on controlling the speed of play and implemented this perfectly.

•••

The under-12 boys got off to a flying start against Bendigo Braves with Jordie White winning the jump ball, and Nate Fitzpatrick taking it down the court for a quick first basket.

The boys found their form with great defensive pressure down the court, forcing multiple turnovers and creating many scoring opportunities.

Nate and Jordie worked hard offensively, shooting and passing well.

Giants 27 def Bendigo Braves 11.

Coming into our second game with some confidence, the boys came out firing and scored quick baskets to get an early lead.

Braxton Leetham is gaining more confidence on the court in his offence, putting up his first basket.

All players made it on to the scoreboard in this match.

Giants 54 def Myrtleford 12.

The boys continued their excellent defensive pressure in game three, creating turnovers resulting in scoring opportunities.

Cormick Hardman was hungry for the ball, causing three turnovers and scoring quick lay ups in under a minute.

Oscar Strongman was consistent with his shooting and strong rebounding, which helped the team to another convincing win.

Giants 35 def Euroa 4.

Sunday morning’s game was a bit slow to start.

Seymour came out strong and were looking for a win.

Jed Fitzmaurice, with a few steals and quick baskets, helped the boys get ahead.

Charlie Murray’s defence proved too strong for Seymour, forcing them to turn the ball over.

In the second half, the team ran away with the win defeating Seymour 39-18.

The boys needed a win in game five to make the grand final.

They came out a bit distracted and allowed Mildura to score a couple of quick goals.

After a time out, the boys were back on track with Jimmy O’Connor and Callan Leiper shooting accurately.

This allowed us to walk away with our fifth win for the weekend.

Giants 44 def Mildura 23.

After an amazing effort over the weekend, the boys made their first grand final.

Nervous but excited, they were ready.

They came out strong, keeping up with a taller Benalla team.

It was a tough game for the boys though, trying to shut down Benalla’s post player from scoring.

Unfortunately the second half didn’t go our way, with nerves getting the better of us and Benalla too strong.

The boys didn’t give up and fought to the end, going down 43-18.

The BLT Fabrication/Cummins Tournament Award went to Nate Fitzpatrick who had an amazing weekend.

His offence and defence was crucial in the team’s successes.

He made great passes, steals and scored many points.

•••

The under-14 boys were out to prove themselves in Shepparton.

They performed beautifully as a team, and individually too, making it to the grand final.

The boys knew game one was going to be tough.

Losing to Mildura at the previous tournament, they were out for revenge.

They came out firing, and 10 minutes in they were only three points down.

However, Mildura then piled on the goals to be leading by 12 points at half time.

With Mildura’s shooting accuracy it was just too big of a chase for the Giants, going down 32-43.

With plenty of shooting practice between now and the next tournament, we’ll be up for the challenge.

The boys were a little more confident going into game two versus Swan Hill.

They started out strong and went into the half time break with a nice 11 point lead.

They found their groove in the last half with their shooting accuracy improving and being able to capitalise on some great mid-court turnovers.

They finished the game comfortably and won 45-27.

Rochester has previously been way too tall for the Giants, however with a new team the dynamics had changed for their match-up in Shepparton.

This game was unknown.

At the 10 minute mark, the boys had completely rattled Rochester with a 10-0 lead and eight team fouls. To say their coach was upset was an understatement.

At half time Giants were up by six points.

The second half saw a different Rochester team.

They came out more determined and began to close the gap.

With three minutes on the clock, the Giants had a three lead and the players stayed strong and composed to take the win, 28-25.

Heading into game four with only the one loss, the boys were still in with a shot to make finals.

They needed a big win for the percentage boost.

With the boys’ half court pressure being too much for Yarra Mul, there were lots of turnovers and the boys made the most of every opportunity.

The boys were extremely vocal and pumped, and it reflected in their performance.

They claimed a very convincing win, 52-15.

Easily the most entertaining game of tournament, the boys all performed brilliantly against rival Wodonga.

A shaky first half saw the boys down and dropping their heads.

Some firm words and boost from coach Bobby Hall saw them lift and work hard as a team to work back into the game.

The second half was goal-for-goal and, in the final minutes, some strong defence work and hard drives earned the boys a 37-29 win and a place in the grand final by a one per cent percentage.

It was such an amazing effort for the boys to make this final, they were on an absolute high and went into this game ready to give it their all.

With Deni getting the first score on the board, they were confident this was going to be a great game.

At the four minute mark they were still in the lead 9-4, however Mansfield quickly found their rhythm and began to pile on the shots.

With two minutes to go in the first half, Mansfield were up by 20 points.

With some quick retaliation the boys closed the gap at the half time break, bringing it back to just 12 points.

The boys soon worked out that Mansfield rarely missed a shot, so this was going to be a tough second half.

The boys fought to the last second and should be extremely proud of their effort.

Mansfield were a well oiled machine and took the win, 48-61.

A special mention to Logan Elphick for an amazing performance - 91 points for the tournament and taking out the MVP for the grand final match.

The Murray Construction Tournament Award was presented to Ollie Murray.

Hall was impressed with Ollie’s strong defensive play, grit and determination displayed for the whole tournament.

•••

The under-12 girls started strong, moving the ball fast and effectively in offence to capitalise and cause havoc in defence.

They took every opportunity to make the points count and this really reflected the score.

Deni Giants 38 def Shepparton Gators 14.

Game two was a nail biter, and the the girls did well to keep their composure.

They were on top all game, then dropped in defence and allowed Mildura to score eight points in final minutes.

Deni Giants 23 def Mildura 21.

The girls then came up against a very small Myrtleford side in game three.

This allowed more rotations on and off the bench.

They played together as a team and looked for each other. They made it near impossible for Myrtleford to get to the basket with their exceptional defence, and their willingness to score at every opportunity

Deni Giants 20 def Myrtleford 8.

It was an early Sunday start for the girls and another nail biter.

They were a little slow to switch on, but once a few goals were scored the girls finally found their momentum.

Bendigo had strong defensive pressure but the girls managed to break through and score.

Deni Giants 29 def Bendigo 22.

The nerves had set in by the next round, with the girls knowing they had to win the semi final against Maryborough to progress to the grand final.

The girls started off well and had Maryborough thinking about their game plan.

It wasn’t untill Maryborough changed up their game that we saw a very polished team.

They put defensive pressure the Giants couldn’t get through, and in offence our goals weren’t dropping.

We were able to put the shots up but just couldn’t get them on the scoreboard.

The girls started to get tired during the second half, and that’s when the Blazers capitalised.

Deni Giants 11 lot to Maryborough 25.

The BLT Tournament Award went to Rori Dean.

Rori had an outstanding tournament, playing exceptionally well in both offence and defence with fantastic confidence and attitude over the whole tournament.

She scored 40 points over the whole tournament, and her determination and dedication was outstanding.

•••

Game one for the under-18 girls saw them take on the Benalla Breakers.

The two sides have had close games in previous tournaments, and this game was no different.

Benalla hit the scoreboard first but it didn’t take long for the Giants to settle and put a few baskets in.

The second half was competitive with the Giants levelling the score in the first few minutes.

Benalla came back but the girls held on winning by one point.

Giants 15 def Benalla 14.

The Giants came out strong in game two, putting the first eight points on the board and leading at half time, 10 to 6.

The second half went down to the wire with Gators putting quick baskets in the last minute to see the Giants go down by one point.

This was the best game the girls have played despite the loss. Their defensive play and team work was outstanding.

Shepp Gators 24 def Giants 23.

Game three saw the Giants level with Mansfield up until the 10 minute mark, where the Eagles started to hit the scoreboard and lead 19 to 10 at the break.

The Giants were still in the game with defensive pressure though, they just needed the baskets to fall.

The Giants held their own in the second half, not allowing the margin to blow out like their last encounter

Mansfield Eagles 39 def Giants 19.

The Giants took on an unknown Rochy side in game four.

They had some very tall players, but that didn’t affect the girls who went about their business.

Rochy hit the scoreboard early with two quick baskets, but the Gaints came straight back with a couple of quick baskets themselves.

Rochy lead at half time, 10 to 6.

In the second half, the Giants came back and were in front at stages. However Rochy were more accurate at their shots and won by five.

Rochester 24 def Giants 19.

The girls came up against another unknown team in game five - the Bendigo Braves.

The Braves put on the first five points and at half time we’re up 19 to 10.

The Giants came out strong in the second half, putting up shots and making them count.

Gaining momentum, the score was 28 to 25 in the Braves’ favour half way through the stanza.

With a few quick baskets by Bendigo, they won the game.

The Essential Shearing Tournament Award went to Molly Bradley for her consistent pressure and hustling on the court.

•••

The under-16 girls girls took a while to warm up in their first game, and were relatively flat until half time.

After some reassurance from coach Bonnie Everett the girls decided to fire, shooting 28 points in the second half taking out a 38-20 against Wangaratta

The girls had their first match up for the season against Phoenix, and whilst it was a loss at 27-17, the style of play indicated it was anyone’s game.

Confidence and defence was strong, and in offence the girls implemented what they had practised at training.

An 8am Sunday start is always a tough one, but the girls were determined not to lose to Yarra Mul in the next round.

They were down by one point at half time, and it was goal-for-goal in the second half.

One successful free shot on the final siren secured a draw.

Maryborough were sitting on top of the ladder, so the girls were slightly lacking in confidence.

They were only down by one point at half time, although Maryborough raised the bar with their defensive pressure, making it very difficult for Giants to score.

They went down 39-12.

The Deni Clothing Co. Tournament Award went to Ruby Cowley.

Ruby’s defence and rebounds were super strong, combined with her 110 per cent effort and great attitude secured her plenty of court time.

•••

Shepparton was the first tournament for both the under-12 and under-14 boys development teams, and they were nervously excited.

An 8am start for the u12 boys meant it took a while for the boys to settle.

They improved throughout the game with some great drives into the key, but struggled to convert all their opportunities and hold off a strong Shepparton side.

Gators 32 def Giants 1.

The boys were much more confident in their second game and got off to a great start against Mansfield Eagles.

They lead all game and put in a solid effort in both defence and attack.

Giants 19 def Eagles 11.

In the side’s best game of the tournament, the boys defended extremely well in the first half against a well drilled Bendigo team.

They ran out of legs to hold off the attack in the second half though, going down 34-1.

The Giants knew it was going to be a tough ask against an unbeaten and top-age Benalla Breakers side, who went on to win the grand final.

The boys certainly couldn’t match them in height.

Some great passing passages resulted in much needed goals later in the game, but Benalla were far too strong.

Breakers 55 def Giants 6.

The Wired Entertainment tournament award went to Lenni Leetham.

He played his heart out over the weekend. Small in stature, he put in a huge workload every game, and took on every word of the coach’s advice.

•••

The under-14 development team had a tough weekend on the court, unfortunately unable to come away with a win.

Game one versus neighbours Echuca saw the Giants work hard in defence, but it wasn’t enough. Deni lost 35-16.

The boys then came up against a tall, strong Bendigo side in game two.

Baxter Cowley got his first taste of coaching.

Bendigo started fast and scored 12 points before a steal from Deni put points on the board.

Unfortunately Bendigo had a significant lead in the first half and Deni were unable to catch them before the final siren.

Deni went down 44-14.

After two losses, the under-14s were keen for a win and were better matched in size with Shepparton in game three.

The boys got the first points on the board but it wasn’t enough to keep momentum.

Shepparton were too strong defeating Deni 33-15.

In the last game of the tournament, the under-14s faced Rochester who were also yet to win a game.

In a pre-game meeting it was agreed that forcing the ball to the basket wasn’t working and the boys needed to be patient and work the ball in offence.

At half time, Baxter questioned the team on their promise to pass around the key and being patient for a goal. The boys came back on the court and delivered on their promise!

In the dying seconds Rochester recorded their ninth team foul and the boys had a chance to reduce the margin.

They ran out of time, but showed everyone they have what it takes to score baskets and be competitive.

Deni went down 37-32.

The That Pizza Tournament Award went to Angus Knuckey.

He worked hard in defence throughout the tournament and really stepped up in the last game to lift the team.

His goals came at crucial moments in the game.

•••

The Deni Junior Giants will now have a small break over the Christmas period before hitting the court again early in the new year.

The first tournament of the new year will be early February in Wodonga.