The Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Limited tournament saw local club Warma Turtles enter eight junior sides in search of silverware.
The under 14s was the only grand final winners, going undefeated through their six pool games and smashing the West Vic Eagles 33-15 in the semi-final.
Brus put up a strong fight come the grand final but were ultimately downed by the strength of the Turtles, 18-17 the final score.
But it didn’t stop there for the Turtles’ achievements.
Echuca local Chase Black received the tournament MVP award at the competition’s culmination.
Turtles under 14 coach Michael Saunders said Black was ‘‘outstanding’’ throughout the tournament.
‘‘Incredible really because he’s the smallest on the team, playing at point guard,’’ Saunders said.
‘‘He’s just very intense, on defence he’s up in everyone’s face and guards everyone so tightly.
‘‘At times when we were struggling he’d put the team on his shoulders really and not allow them to lose. It looked a bit iffy at times and he’d change the game, for sure.’’
Warma Sports Club junior organiser Rachael Stewart said it was the club’s first boys basketball title.
‘‘Our girls won a couple years ago in the under 16s but it’s the first boys group that have taken the title,’’ she said.
‘‘We’ve been participating in junior carnivals for four years now but the club has been around for 35 years entering the odd team here and there but to be consistent and putting teams in every year we’re probably the highest participation rate in the state.
‘‘We have a good relationship with VACSAL and they always check in we’re sending teams to tournaments.’’
Off the back of their performance in the VACSAL basketball tournament, three Warma players have been selected for the Victorian Indigenous Basketball Academy.
‘‘That’s a new incentive program this year and they have a basketball camp coming up in April,’’ she said.
‘‘So Hurrikane Hudson, Jaylen Saunders and Birra Whyman-Coombs from Echuca made it, and a few from Shepparton and Melbourne too.’’
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