Tara Murray
Some of Broadmeadows Basketball’s next generation of stars shone at the National Junior Classic earlier this month.
There were two Broncos teams invited to the competition which included teams from across New South Wales and South Australia.
The Broncos under-12 boys team managed to come home with bronze after losing just one match for the tournament.
Coach Marko Milutinovic said it was a massive achievement for the group.
“We know that we have a special team going into the tournament and to be able to contest with teams like that was really good.
“We had a lot of close games. We came together last season as bottom agers and they’ve grown on last year.
We’re getting better and better the way that we work together and it’s the environment that we want.”
The Broncos won through to the semi finals without losing a game. They faced the North Adelaide Rockets in the semi final.
The Rockets got the win, 66-41 and would eventually win the grand final.
The Broncos bounced back in the third and fourth play off beating Casey, 61-45.
Milutinovic said the group was keen to come back in two years in the under-14 age and try and make the grand final.
The hard work isn’t over for the group, with the side still in the Victorian Junior Basketball League VC Championship competition.
The side is in fourth spot.
Milutinovic said the group was keen to win the title.
“There’s seven more weeks and finals,” he said. “Hopefully we can bring home the championship.
“The top eight play finals and anything can happen.”
The under-14 Broncos girls team finished seventh at the NJC in their age group.