Rochester local Mason Mundie played for the Echuca Pirates U16 Boys at the Basketball Victoria Junior Country Championships. Photo: Supplied.
Rochester locals Mason Mundie and Heidi Plim recently made a strong impact at Basketball Victoria’s Junior Country Championships in Bendigo.
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The pair were chosen to play at the annual tournament that was held on February 14 and 15, with Mason representing the Echuca Pirates in the Under-16 Boys Division 1 and 2, and Heidi the Bendigo Braves in the Under-18 Girls Division 1 and 2.
Playing in the top two divisions meant Mason and Heidi were facing off against teams that were among the top 16 in their age group, and both fared well on the court.
Mason averaged 11.5 points per game across the Pirates’ four games, and finished in the top 25 in total scoring among all players in the under-16 top 16.
The team lost all three of its games in Pool A, but the nature of the format meant each side still progressed to a quarter-final for its bracket, with the opponent determined by pool seeding.
Mason starred in a narrow quarter-final loss, scoring 12 points as the Pirates were knocked out by the Bairnsdale Bullets after being up by a point with only 74 seconds to play.
Heidi Plim (second from right) with her Bendigo Braves teammates. Photo: Supplied.
Meanwhile, Heidi averaged 6.8 points per game for the Braves, who fared better as a team, making it all the way to the semi-finals of their bracket.
Similarly to Mason, Heidi’s total scoring was among the top 30 Under-18 Division 1 and 2 players.
She scored 13 in a win over Colac in Pool C, the Braves going 2-1 in pool play.
Heidi made an impact again in the quarter-final, contributing eight points in a comfortable win over Geelong United.
The semi-final proved a step too far, with the Swan Hill Flyers knocking out Bendigo in a tight contest, 47-40.
The Under-16 and Under-18 Divisions 3 and 4 will take place this weekend in Shepparton, with the Under-14 and Under-12 competitions to be held in April.