HAMILTON local, Charlize Cooper, stepped up and represented the Vic Country Goldminers at the 2023 Southern Cross Challenge over the weekend in the Under-14 Girls competition at Melbourne.

The Goldminers played six games beginning last Friday, as the finals wrapped up on Monday with Cooper’s side finishing fourth in their pool with one win and seventh overall.

The 12-year-old earnt selection in the tournament and performed well with a new team that she had just met.

The Hamilton Hurricanes player scored 12 points for the week and was very consistent, scoring four points against Vic Metro Green and NSW Country.

The exciting talent said it was a great experience to play against some of the best young basketballers in Australia and hoped to pursue her career through the pathways.

“It was really fun meeting new people and playing with them … I stayed with completely different people as I was the only one from Hamilton going,” Cooper told The Spectator.

“I really enjoyed it … I hope to get in again and maybe go to Albury this time.”

Cooper said she was over the moon when she found out she had been selected to play the Southern Cross Challenge and couldn’t wait to take part in the tournament.

“I’d just finished squad training and mum came and picked me up and said I got in (to represent the Vic Country Goldminers) and I got really happy, all my friends were so happy for me and hugging me in excitement,” she said.

“My favourite part of it (playing basketball) is celebrating with the team after you’ve done something very good.”

Cooper was quite a bit younger than most of her competitors and said getting the opportunity to learn from other strong teams and play different positions, was rewarding.

“We were really happy with at least two wins, they said that in the Under-14s, the first part is just about improving and everything, the next level will just be about winning,” she said.

“I love playing offence, this weekend I played forward, normally here (in Hamilton) I play point guard, so it was good to play something different.

“I learnt heaps from the week, not just basketball but also recovery, eating healthy and resting.”

Cooper dominates in the Hamilton Basketball Association (HBA) with Hamilton Hurricanes in the Under-16 Girls competition and St Mary’s in the Under-14s.

Despite being only 12, Cooper’s basketball record shows experience beyond her years.

She has played 137 games across her career dropping 1245 points and she doesn’t plan on stopping there, with big dreams and in her sights.

“(One day) I want to play in the WNBL and play for Australia and go pro,” Cooper said.

The ball doesn’t stop bouncing for the local star as she travels to Bendigo today to compete at the Bendigo Junior Classic representing the Hurricanes.