WARRNAMBOOL was confirmed as a prime producer of fresh basketball talent on the weekend after featuring in two Victorian Country junior championship finals.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The south-west city fell just short in the under 16 girls division one and under 18 boys division two deciders at the tournament in Bendigo.
Colac Kookas collected the under 16 boys division two crown while Portland Coasters were runner-up in the under 16 girls second division play-off.
Mermaids coach Lester Pickett said he was proud of his under 16 girls' performance, despite stumbling at the last hurdle against Traralgon, 59-48.
"We played well all weekend," he said.
"Our defensive pressure was sensational and our intensity was really good.
"We shared the ball around and didn't rely on one person."
The Mermaids started the two-day championships slowly with a 38-25 loss against Ballarat Miners but rebounded with a 70-25 trouncing of Maffra Eagles.
To sneak into the finals race, Warrnambool was faced with the daunting task of toppling Mount Gambier.
The two sides had already met twice at a Portland tournament two weekends ago, with the South Australian outfit winning both duels by a point.
Pickett explained the scoreboard needed to show a convincing margin for the Mermaids to force their way into the division one elimination final.
"We had to win by at least 15," he said.
Warrnambool upset the border town 51-33 and progressed to the elimination showdown against Shepparton, winning 40-31.
A successful battle with host side Bendigo Braves in the semi-final, 50-34, propelled the visitors to the decider.
Pickett said the appearance on the final stage was reward for enduring tough training sessions since October.
"That was what we'd been working for," he said.
The T-Birds pounced in the opening term to open up a 8-0 lead.
"They got off to a quick start but we gradually worked back into the game," Pickett said.
Traralgon guard Danni Pearce (14 points) continued to trouble the Mermaids.
The T-Birds managed to jump out to a 18-point lead before Warrnambool scrambled to reduce the deficit.
Pickett conceded the Latrobe Valley outfit was too strong.
"They were a bit more steady and they had a nice guard," he said.
"They were pretty quick and worked as a team."
The team included Annie Blackburn, Brittany Hyland, Maggie Baker, Olivier Krygger, Rachel Alderson, Ashleigh Roennfeldt, Darcy Wilson and Bridget Smith.
In the under 18 boys competition, Warrnambool opened its campaign with a victory over Wangaratta before stalling against Ballarat.
The Seahawks, guided by Tim Gainey, were relegated to the division two finals where they escaped Southern Peninsula Sharks to cement a spot in the decider against Mildura Heat - eventually going down 61-40.
Warrnambool's under 16 boys, coached by Damien Bishop, posted a two-point win against Wodonga before slumping under the pressure of Ballarat and Corio.
The young Seahawks bowed out of the division two elimination final with a loss to Colac Kookas - which went on to win the final against Traralgon.