DANDENONG Rangers basketballer Venky Jois led Victoria to the under-20 national championship in Canberra last month.
Jois, who late last year signed with Eastern Washington University, played a key defensive role on South Australian star Majok Deng in the gold medal game, keeping his opponent to just two points in the second half after Deng had 21 in the first.
Jois added 12 points and 14 rebounds in the final along with the match-sealing dunk in the final minute.
Jois’s efforts handed him the Bob Staunton Medal for player of the tournament. Rangers teammate Lucas Barker also played a key role as starting point guard.
Victoria won all four divisions of the under-20 championships, with the under-20 women, Ivor Burge women and IB men all claiming gold medals. The IB event is for people with an intellectual disability.
Jois and Barker are both expected to play important roles in the Rangers’ 2012 South East Australian Basketball League campaign starting on March 17 against Knox Raiders at Knox Stadium.
