Merimbula Sharks prevail with three more awards for the trophy cabinet

Four Merimbula Sharks teams made the trip to the small village near the Southern Highlands, on Sunday, May 26, for the volunteer-run tournament.

The MBA U12 Boys, U16 Boys and U16 Girls competed in Division A finals, and the MBA U16 Boys Development Team competed in Division C finals.

With a number of first-time representatives, the U12 Boys reached the Division A finals, secured a convincing win over Wollondilly in the semis, and faced Kiama White in the grand final.

The lead changed multiple times throughout the game, but through focus and teamwork, Merimbula prevailed with a 41 to 36 win, and was crowned 2024 Barrengarry Conference Champion.

The U16 Boys had a very strong tournament which saw them through to the Division A finals, but unfortunately went down 46 to 43 which ended their finals campaign.

The Merimbula U16 Girls had finished the regular tournament rounds in second place which saw them drawn to play third placed Kiama.

Although Merimbula had comfortably beaten them in both previous games, finals were always a different ball game, evidenced by the three points difference when the buzzer sounded.

Merimbula took the win with a 38-35 final score, leading them to the grand final against Goulburn, a tough contender.

The game went basket for basket from the outset and finished up 36-36 after regular time, and the tight game continued during the three-minute overtime period.

Only a single point was scored during the overtime period, and it occurred with nine seconds remaining on the clock.

Sophie Lewis was given two free throws, the first was unsuccessful, but the second was converted and clenched the win, a brilliant result given four girls from the team were still in the U14s competing on a higher level.

The U16 Boys Development Team played Batemans Bay Teal in the Division C semi-final, where a comfortable 63-37 win saw them advance straight to the grand final against Kiama White.

The boys fought hard all game and displayed great teamwork which turned out to be the difference in the grand final, enabling Merimbula to come away with a 41-34 win.

Representing MBA, referee Laura Pouliot was invited to officiate the U16 boys final, which Merimbula Sharks president, Matt Collins said highlighted the swift progression from local competition to rep level.