Taree Tornadoes under 16s have returned from Niagara Park with the runners up trophy in the New South Wales Country Junior Basketball Tournament which was held over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. The team includes four Gloucester based players, Beau Hebblewhite, Jack Cohen, Logan Beattie and Matt Yates.
The boys, who were placed in pool B, matched up against Quirindi, Lake Macquarie, Illawarra, Maitland and Merimbula.
First up the boys took on Quirindi, and it was a good first hit out, with Taree up 31 to 23 at the end of the second quarter. The remaining minutes were a chance for us to run new offensive and defensive structures, with stand out players Logan Beattie and Eddie Corben battling on the boards, and allowing the Tornadoes transition to fire and take the first match in style, 59 to 39. Lake Macquarie was a one-sided match, with Tornadoes dominating both ends of the floor. Beau Hebblewhite showed that, despite his small stature, he is still a tough match up for any opponent, and John Blenkin was shooting well as they secured another win 75 to 38. That concluded the action for day one.
On day two, Tornadoes matched up against a very tough Illawarra outfit, and it was a first quarter battle seeing Illawarra grab the advantage through the inside work of their forwards. After the break, Tornadoes burnt Illawarra with their fast break, piling on 12 unanswered points to take the lead 31 to 23 at half time. Tornadoes continued to extend their lead through Matt Yates, who has stepped up his offensive presence on court, leading to a win, 59 to 39. Maitland was next up and fielded two huge players that pushed the 6ft 2 and 6ft 4 barriers. Taree struggled to contain them in the opening half, and saw Maitland leading 21 to 20. In the third and fourth quarters Taree showed their patience and consistency, chipping away at the Maitland defence, and fouling out the two forwards. They pushed the ball, with star newcomer Angus McLeod showing his ability to adapt and learn on court, which proved the difference for the Tornadoes, taking the win 49 to 35. Taree matched up against Merimbula, who were the cellar dwellers of Pool B, and used it as a chance to work on its offence. Taree came out easy winners 51 to 10, but it came at a very high price when star player Matt Yates, a key element in the Taree team, suffered a head clash with a Merimbula player. This resulted in his left eye swelling completely shut, thus eliminating him from competing in the finals of the tournament.
Taree finished top of Pool B, and the cross over final would see them match up against Moss Vale. The semi - final was a battle, and with Taree down a player it was a close match. Moss Vale took the lead in the opening stages as Taree struggled to finish on the offensive end, trailing 21 to 20 at halftime. Tornadoes dug deep and knew they were in for a battle, as they traded basket for basket with Moss Vale and with only a minute left on the clock found themselves down by one point. The match hung in the balance with either team capable of taking the win. Taree stole the ball and a basket saw them up by one. Moss Vale had the ball, missed the shot and the rebound was taken by Eddie Corben. He found Jack Cohen as the outlet, who hit a tough layup under pressure to give the Tornadoes a three point lead. Moss Vale turned the ball over and the Tornadoes ran down the clock to take the semi final 42 to 39 in a thrilling win, which saw them advance to the Country Junior Tournament big show.
Taree matched up against the Grafton Vikings, and both teams had a perfect record of six wins. The match was close in the opening quarter before Taree just ran out of puff. The Vikings controlled the tempo and were too strong on the boards, running out winners 58 to 33. For Grafton standouts were K Shannon 28, C Crapp 15 and S Mackey 6. MVP for the final was Aaron Crispin who played outstanding basketball for the Vikings. The standout player for Tornadoes was point guard Nick Johnson, who top scored for the entire tournament over the three divisions - a huge individual achievement. Nick top scored for Taree in the final, bagging 14 points.
Taree Tornadoes would like to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge our generous sponsors - Leighton Mining, Harwel Lifts and Apex Club, Gloucester. Taree and Gloucester combined forces for this season’s team, and we are extremely grateful for their tremendous support.
The U16’s Tornadoes are also competing in the Northern Junior League, and are currently placed second on the ladder with one round remaining before the finals. The prediction is that we will again face Grafton for the title, and hope that we can turn the tables and secure the win.
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