Warrnambool Mermaids win 2022 Basketball Victoria under 14 girls' country championship

That's the assessment from coach Shane Smith after his team went through the Traralgon-based competition undefeated, earning invites to two high-quality tournaments.

The Mermaids' roster - featuring Emma Hill, Indi O'Connor, Chloe Gleeson, Rosie Bowman, Stella Marris, Sophie Smith, Zoe Dobson, Milan Clark, Annika Baker and Paige Lenehan - won nine games to be crowned country Victoria's number one team.

It defeated Romsey by a point in a thrilling semi-final before accounting for Ballarat 38-33 in the grand final.

Smith said the success bode well for Warrnambool basketball's long-term future, crediting Louise Brown, Kate Sewell, Jenna Osborne, Katie O'Keefe and Nicole Gynes for their input.

"There's some really good role models in there who have come in as part of that coaching regime and brought girls' basketball along," he said.

"We went from under 12 girls' try outs two years ago having 12 or 15 girls to this year having 45.

"The interest, the growth, the skill level have been significant for driving girls' basketball and now we're reaping the rewards.

"It is exciting for our whole program (from squad through to Big V)."

The Mermaids' under 14 team has been a model of consistency in 2022.

"We've played seven tournaments and only lost one game in all of those," Smith said.

Its country championship title will lead to further opportunities.

"You get invited to the Melbourne Classic which is the long weekend in June," he said.

"It's a semi national competition - they get some Sydney teams and Adelaide teams to come across. At this stage the nationals are in Sydney in September and they get invited to a week-long tournament up there."

Smith said depth was a key component for the Mermaids.

"When they get on the court they all play their roles really well and they are really defensive-minded but it leads to really good offence as well," he said.

"We are not relying on one or two people to score. We work the ball really well as a team, it is one of their (the players') best assets.

"They have got a nice calmness under pressure which was significant in the end."

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