While the Skidegate Saints took home their third B.C. Junior All Native Basketball Tournament banner (see Page B1 for the full story), they were not the only team from the North Coast to compete in Kamloops last week.
In addition to the Saints, there were four boys teams and three girls teams from the regions taking to the court and each met with varying levels of success.
On the boys side of things, the Kaien Island Thunder secured a Top Five finish after ending the tournament with a record of 4-2 and only losing to Van City, who would place second. The Thunder defeated Nunant and Syilx before being bumped to the loser’s bracket by Van City, where they would defeat the Gitanmaax Torchmen and Syilx again before being eliminated by Van City.
The other Prince Rupert squad, the Friendship House Beavers, fell to Van City in their first game and beat Gitanyow before being bumped from the tournament by Syilx. The Lax Kw’alaams Hoyas defeated the Ahousaht Chiefs and Gingolx Sons before falling to the Skidegate Saints and Syilx to be eliminated. Old Massett beat Lax Galts’ap in their opening game, but were pushed to the loser’s bracket by the TLKemchEEn Warriors, where they beat the Heiltsuk Nation before being eliminated by the Haisla of Kitimat.
Lax Kw’alaams had the strongest showing in the girls’ side of the tournament, defeating the TFN First Ladies and NCN Lady Warriors before being bumped to the Loser’s Bracket by the second-place Haisla. In the Loser’s Bracket, the girls beat Lilwat and Gitmidiik before being eliminated by the Haisla in a rematch.
The Friendship House girls lost to At’Maakw to open the tournament, but came back to defeat the TFN First Ladies, Ahousaht and the Gitxsan before being eliminated in a rematch against the At’Maakw. Old Massett’s girls team beat Van City in their opener, were bumped to the Loser’s Bracket by the Hesquiaht squad and were eliminated in their next game by At’Maakw.
In the girls’ final, the Haisla were unable to defend their title and lost to Syilx by a final score of 51-39.
