It was a fruitful weekend of basketball for Myrtleford’s young guns, with eight Saints squads hitting the courts around the North East for the Benalla Basketball Association’s junior tournament.

Teams of under 12s, under 14s, under 16, and under 18s took on the best ballers in the region, with the little town of Myrtleford punching far above its weight in terms of results.

The standout performers were the under 16 girls, who went through the tournament undefeated before taking out the grand final 34-27 over Mansfield.

The Saints were the ones to beat through the group stage, with victories over Wallan (37-21), Mansfield (27-21), and Wangaratta before their bye.

A narrow three-point win over Yarrawonga Mulwala, 26-23, gave the Saints the top seeding heading into the final.

The Eagles led by a single point at the main break, but Myrtleford knuckled down and improved their defensive structures, conceding just 10 points through the second half while improving their offensive output.

Mya Badrock was scoring at will, finishing with 13 points to get name, while Willow Szaraszek (nine points) and Luella Robb (six points) got in on the action.

While no other Saints side would make finals, there were still plenty of encouraging results and incredible efforts on display.

The under 12 boys finished third overall, narrowly missing out on finals thanks to a drawn match 21-21 against Yarrawonga Mulwala and heavy losses to Deniliquin and Mansfield Gold.

The division one under 14 boys persevered through a challenging tournament, their only win coming from their first game, a 34-21 victory over Wangaratta.

Meanwhile, the division two side will be sure to take the positives from their winless run.

The under 14 girls won their first and only match of the tournament in round four, a comprehensive 32-18 result over Deniliquin Black.

The older age groups were just as challenging, with the under 16 boys fighting hard to claim a win in their match with Yarrawonga Mulwala.

The 46-37 win was the only successful match for the side, but they were more than competitive in every game.

The division two side had more luck, finishing the tournament with a 2-2 record.

Their wins came at the start of the run, with a 50-20 smashing of Corryong and a 49-40 result over Mansfield Blue.

In the under 18 boys, the Saints could’ve gone all the way, with all of their matches decided by less than 10 points.