Over the past two weekends, Geelong United Basketball’s U14 and U12 Legacy teams proudly represented our organisation at the Junior Country Championships (JCC) held in Ballarat (U14s) and Bendigo (U12s).
The JCC brings together the top teams from country associations across Victoria, competing across five divisions to finish as high as possible and claim their respective division title. The tournament offers a high-level competitive experience and continues to be a valuable part of player development in the country pathway.
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U14 Boys:
The U14 boys had a dominant start, going undefeated through six pool games with comfortable wins to qualify for Division 1 finals.
They continued their run with a 15-point quarter final win over Pakenham, before facing Warragul in a tough semifinal. After leading for most of the game, the boys narrowly went down by 10 points. Warragul went on to win the Division 1 title, and our boys finished with a strong 3rd place overall.
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U14 Girls:
The U14 girls opened strong, winning all of their Day 1 games by over 20 points.
Day 2 saw them placed in an incredibly tough pool, facing the eventual Division 1 Champion, Runner-Up, and Division 2 Champion. Despite three hard-fought, close matches, the girls came away with one win.
They bowed out in the Division 2 Quarter Final on Day 3 after a resilient effort, showing great character after a challenging Day 2.
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U12 Girls:
The U12 girls had a gritty and competitive weekend, finishing Day 1 with 2 wins and 1 close loss in a three-way tie for first in their pool.
Day 2 started with a tough game against a Division 1 semifinalist, followed by a must-win match against Ballarat where the girls fell just short by 2 points in a tight contest.
They faced a high-pressure Southern Peninsula team on Day 3, and despite a strong late push, were unable to close the gap. A great effort across all three days.
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U12 Boys:
The U12 boys had a fantastic weekend, going undefeated and winning the Division 1 Championship.
Day 1 saw them record strong wins by no less than 15 points. On Day 2, they edged out Bendigo by 3 points in a tough contest, before closing the day with two more wins to finish top of their pool.
In the semifinals, the boys produced a huge comeback, turning an 11-point halftime deficit into a 9-point win over Traralgon.
In the Division 1 Grand Final, they held their nerve in a tight, back-and-forth battle with Pakenham, eventually coming out on top to be crowned Division 1 Champions.
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Congratulations to all players, coaches, and families for a fantastic showing at this year’s JCC. We’re incredibly proud of the way our teams represented Geelong United both on and off the court.
