2023 Junior Basketball League tips off.

Posted on 6 March 2023

The Taree Tornadoes teams in the U16 girls and boys and U18 boys age groups travelled to Port Macquarie over the weekend ( 04 & 05/03/2023)for the commencement of the 2023 Spalding Waratah North Eastern Junior League.

The 2023 NEJL season has teams from Ballina, Bellinger Valley, Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Inverell, Kempsey, Lismore, Port Macquarie, Taree, Yamba, Armidale , Tamworth, Central Coast Rebels, Central Cost Waves, Newcastle, Maitland and Cessnock showcasing their skills and what a wonderful start to the League was witnessed in Port Macquarie with games played across three different venues in the Hastings.

Next weekend the remainder of the Taree Tornadoes teams in the U12 and U14 girls and boys age groups head to Tamworth to test their skills in the representative arena against other teams from the North Eastern area of the State.

Results from Port Macquarie indicate the Taree Tornadoes teams had a very good start to the competition with the U16 girls recording victories against Inverell 45 to 33, Byron Bay 58 to 27 and Coffs Harbour 59 to 42 with Yamba inflecting their only defeat 77 to 56.

The Taree Tornadoes girls sit second of the competition ladder behind Yamba who recorded four wins from four games.

The U16 boys split their results defeating Bellinger Valley 62 to 61 and Cessnock 58 to 48 and going down to Port Macquarie 70 to 56 and Coffs Harbour 72 to 65. They sit third on the competition ladder behind Port Macquarie and Tamworth and are well placed to make their presence felt in future rounds.

The U18 boys are fourth of the competition ladder recording wins against Central Coast Waves 75-69 and Maitland 69-55 with Tamworth getting past them 70 to 51.

As well as these team performances, Taree Basketball was also represented by referees Stormi Beale, Lachlan Adams and Josh Gillard and their efforts were greatly appreciated because it allows us to fulfill our commitment to the competition, which in turn provides our junior representatives with the opportunity to play at this level.