Mia Grantham and Laura Packard, both aged 17, represented the South Australia Country Under 18 basketball team at the meet.

Finishing in third place and higher than the SA Metropolitan squad, their team equalled the best efforts of past SA Country sides.

The championships ran from July 3 till July 13 and the girls had a hectic schedule of training, matches and recovery sessions.

Competition was fierce with fourteen teams fighting for gold in their age division.

Winning all but two games, Grantham and Packard were pleased with their efforts in representing rural SA.

In the lead-up to the competition, the girls played or trained five days a week, travelling to Adelaide for squad training most weekends.

The girls say that country teams have a much greater level of commitment than metropolitan teams who have better access to facilities.

Some of the metro players are also incredibly tall with Grantham and Packard being matched against girls up to 205cm in height, making the country players' success even greater.

Their squad was also made up of players from Hahndorf, Millicent, Mt Barker, Whyalla and York Peninsula.

It seems the competition is just as intense in the girls' backyards.

Grantham plays rough family basketball games which often get out of hand.

"I've just always played it," she said.

Packard also grew up with basketball in her family with her father coaching and playing.

Now in the off-season, both girls are keen for a break so they can focus on their year 12 studies.

With plans to move to Adelaide for university, the girls will reassess whether they want to pursue professional basketball careers, saying that being in the city is essential to reach that next level.

Even if their chosen careers do not centre on basketball, Grantham hopes to study human movement and Packard would also like to pursue a sport-related profession.

For the moment, the girls have no urge to play for Australia but idolise Penny Taylor.

Packard hopes to "continue playing and enjoying it," while Grantham aims to "help the younger kids coming through."