A good crowd was on hand to witness three high-class games, with the players from the six teams giving their all and leaving nothing in the tank.

The association had warm-up music and player introductions before the matches, which got both the spectators and players ready for some high stakes basketball.

Comets in the under 14 Division were the only minor premiers to enjoy success, turning the tables on the Bulls who had beaten them two weeks ago.

In fact, all three teams that qualified first for their respective grand finals found that the weeks’ break did them no favours, with none able to repeat their major semi final victories.

The association thanks all the referees including Craig Flynn, David Swift, Adam and Richard Marjoram, Greg Guest, Austyn Lincoln, Callum Flynn, Kobe Hunter, Zeke Evans, Toby Kenniff, as well as Fletcher Swift and Hayden Cox in the Learn To Play Girls Program.

A special mention goes to young Shona Daly who travelled from the Mountains most weeks to referee two or three games.

Also a big thank you to McDonalds for supplying encouragement awards each week and the parents and carers for bringing their boys and cheering them on.

Likewise to those parents who helped with the scoretable duties.

Last but not least thank you to Jeff Geddes and the Mercury staff for running the reports each week.

The association will conduct a muster day for next season on July 16 from 4.30pm at the Barton Street Stadium with an eye to forming a competition to start the next week, July 23.

This competition will run until November, with the grand finals set down for the November 12.

Boys aged from about nine up are welcome to play.

Younger children, both girls and boys, should look out for the ‘Aussie Hoops’ program which will be running soon.

In the meantime, the association will be running a series of training and development programs.

More information on these programs can be found in coming weeks in the Lithgow Mercury, on Radio 2LT or the Lithgow Basketball Development Program Facebook page.

The association believes the boys program is on track but is always after more players.

They invite all the boys back again next season and ask them to invite a mate or two along to help strengthen the competition.

For further information on any of the Lithgow Basketball Programs, contact Richard Marjoram on 6352 1635.

Under 12

Kings frustrated minor premiers Heat with heavy defensive pressure in the opening minutes.

They froze the Heats’ offence, which had put up 46 points against them two weeks ago, allowing only two baskets in the first period to take a stranglehold on the match at 18-4.

Heat got to the basket more regularly in the second half but the damage had been done, with Kings matching them and cruising to the title 36-17.

Lachlan Kendall, Lachie Thompson and Ashton Hunter were in everything for Kings in attack, while stifling defence from Connor Moss, Jack Goodwin, Justin Field and Toby Campbell, mainly in the first half, paved the way for the victory.

All of the Heat players (Mitchell Giffney, Riley Bell, Luke Baker-Hogan, Mitchell Wallace, Francesco DiFranco and Eli Morris) tried hard but things didn’t quite click for them.

They can be proud of the fact they finished the regular season in first place.

Under 14

Bulls looked ready to knock over minor premiers Comets for the second time in the finals when they finished the first half ahead 27-24.

Comets upped the ante in the second stanza, scoring a lot of points on fast breaks to get to the front.

They had a few nervous moments as a fast finishing Bulls outfit came back at them but they controlled the ball in the final stages to win 54-49.

Comets went into the game without the services of Callum Flynn, who was out with an arm injury.

They took up the extra responsibilities in both attack and defence, as Landon Tesoriero, Kade Inwood, Eli Morris, Lachlan Wilson and Tully Kerstens all found the basket in a good team effort.

The Bulls of Leroy Daly, Jake Webber, Caleb Traish, Mitchell Jennings, Hutch and Zeke Evans and Koby Hamby went down swinging and never gave up, but just needed a few more baskets to drop.

Under 16-18

Celtics beat minor premiers Lakers out of the blocks and led 8-0 before Lakers knew what hit them.

They settled down and slowly got themselves back into the match with Celtics only three up at the break, 19-16.

Lakers took the lead for the first time midway through the second half and the match was up for grabs.

The teams went virtually basket-for-basket from there, with the lead changing hands several times as the match looked like it might go to overtime.

A couple of unanswered baskets from Celtics kicked them clear with a few minutes on the clock and Lakers couldn’t close the gap, with Celtics claiming victory 47-41.

In beating Lakers for the first time this season, Celtics produced a good team effort, with Mitchell Brain, Hayden Cox, Mitchell Gurney and Finn Galloway proving tough to defend against, while Seton Carter, Ethan Petra and Jordan Inzitari used their speed and agility to trouble their opponents at both ends.

For Lakers, who won the minor premiership comfortably, it was a good season, but unfortunately they went into the grand final slightly under manned.

Toby Kenniff, Tallis Flynn, Jayden Bergagin, Matt Ringin and Michael Brooks all got on the scoresheet, but missed the sharp shooting of Fletcher Swift, who was unavailable, and the extra effort, especially on defence in the dying stages, perhaps proved decisive.

Results

UNDER 12: Kings 36 (L Kendall 20, L Thompson 13, A Hunter 3) defeated Heat 17 (E Morris 12, R Bell 2, M Wallace 2, L Baker-Hogan 1).

UNDER 14: Comets 54 (E Morris 16, K Inwood 12, L Wilson 12, T Kerstens 8, L Tesoriero 6) defeated Bulls 49 (Z Evans 24, J Webber 21, H Evans 2, M Jennings 2).

UNDER 16-18: Celtics 47 (H Cox 19, M Gurney 15, M Brain 8, F Galloway 5) defeated Lakers 41 (T Flynn 15, T Kenniff 10, M Brooks 9, M Ringin 5, J Bergagin 2).