BASKETBALL

By Jason Campbell Mansfield Eagles Basketball Under 18s

THE Mansfield Eagles U18 boys' Gold team headed to the Division 3/4 U16/18 Junior Country Championships, weekend of March 16 and 17 and did not come away disappointed.

They were held in Bendigo, against all the country associations in Victoria, at that level.

The boys had an amazing first game on Saturday against Wonthaggi, being behind all game, and sneaking a thrilling win with one point seven seconds to go.

The boys demolished Korumburra’s VJBL side by 29 points in the next game, which was a delight to see how well the boys were playing together.

The third and final game for the day was a win against Hamilton, and that left the Eagles boys clear at the top of their respective pool, and a free pass to advance past a disqualified Western Port, the next day.

These wins bumped the Mansfield U18 Eagle boys out of division four, and up into the division three level, and through to the division three semi-final.

This would be one of the toughest game of their young lives, against a super strong powerhouse of Country Victorian basketball, Traralgon.

The Eagles went about their business all game with a clarity and intensity that was at another level for them.

There was never more than a few points in the game, and it seesawed up and down the entire game.

The supportive Mansfield crowd cheered them on, with an amazing support from afar.

The young Mansfield team held their nerve, and got themselves a three point win, to defeat Traralgon, and push them through to their ultimate goal - a grand final berth at the Junior Country Champs.

The grand final put them up against Hamilton once again, who had won their way through the finals phases against some quality teams, to come up against us once again.

The grand final was a great game, and Hamilton pushed the boys all the way to the end, but a timeout at four minutes to go put the boys in the right mindset, and they went out and put the game to rest, with a monumental nine point win, to take home Mansfield’s first ever U18 JCC tournament win, and Mansfield’s highest ever JCC division win.