A ‘ripper’ tournament, once again

Organisation this year was a bit more complicated, as a whopping 139 teams played at Echuca Stadium.

But it’s worth it for more great action on the hardwood and the knock-on effect of a boost to the town’s economy over the three days.

“It was a ripper tournament,” Baker said.

“We had a record number of teams, everything ran very, very smoothly.

“A few hiccups, but I don't think you can ever do a tournament that size without a few.

“It all came together really nicely.”

On the court, the Echuca Pirates performed well.

The highlights included two division one boys’ sides, the under-16s and under-18s, finishing as runners-up.

Two girls teams reached the pinnacle, with the under-14s and under-16s both winning their division one grand finals.

The under-16s were involved in a tight decider against Wodonga.

Level at 17-17 with five minutes to play, the Pirates outscored the Wolves 11-1 down the stretch.

It was a genuine team effort, with five different players scoring Echuca’s final five baskets (excluding free-throws).

“It was a ripper game, very high quality,” Baker said.

“Seeing the potential of what our kids can do at upcoming tournaments will be very exciting.”

Baker said it was “really good timing” seeing junior girls teams performing well, as women’s basketball in Echuca-Moama continues to grow.

EMBA is re-entering a women’s team in the Country Basketball League this season after a lengthy hiatus.

This time the senior side could be here to stay, given the junior success underpinning it.

“It’s something for those girls to aspire to once they age out of juniors,” Baker said.

“They can see that they can continue their basketball journey.”