Juniors run riot at championships

By Stuart Teather
THE future of Dandenong basketball is looking bright, with several junior Rangers starring at the Australian Basketball Championships.
The under 18 Championships were played in Ballarat, with the finals on Saturday, while the under 16 Championships are being held in Kalamunda, Western Australia.
The under 18 tournaments were a remarkable success for the Vic Metro sides, with both the boys’ and girls’ sides winning their grand finals.
Four of the nine girls in the victorious Vic Metro under 18 side were Rangers, with Rachel Jarry and Elizabeth Cambage in particular starring for their team.
Vic Metro defeated NSW Metro in a dramatic overtime finish, with Cambage top scoring with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Jarry shooting 15 points and pulling down a game-high 18 boards.
Cambage was particularly impressive given she had not played basketball for two months prior to the tournament due to injury.
Nicole Zammit and Morgan Pink were the other Rangers in the side, and both had plenty of court time.
In the under 18 boys’ division, Vic Metro fired in the grand final, comprehensively beating SA Metro by 18 points, with Anthony Drmic representing the Rangers.
Not to be outdone, the under 16 girls’ side is fielding five Rangers in a 10-player side.
Rosemary Fadilijevic, Carley Mijovic, Aimee Clydesdale, Georgi Lovelace and Jacinta Vandenburg are all representing their state.
After three rounds Vic Metro is undefeated on top of the ladder, having survived a close encounter with NSW Country in the first round.
The side then recorded a 79-point win against the Northern Territory, then defeated SA Country 71-55 on Sunday.
The under 16 boys feature two Rangers– Aidan Hudson and Venky Jois – and are also undefeated after two rounds.
The under 16 tournament concludes tomorrow (Friday), and Dandenong’s elite program manager Mark Hewish holds high hopes for further good results.
“I would expect the girls to feature pretty prominently in the medals … so we’re looking forward to that,” he said.