Summerland Secondary School alumni basketball players faced members of the present senior basketball teams in a one-day homecoming tournament on Dec. 23.
The tournament was a fundraiser for the school’s senior girls and senior boys basketball teams.
Tom Brickenden, who organized the tournament along with Don Walker and Blair Haddrell, said there were many returning alumni this year.
In the first game, the grads of 2005 and earlier faced the current senior boys Rockets team.
The alumni won the game 69-49.
While the game was close in the first half, the alumni players surged ahead in the second half.
Graham Lyle was the scoring leader for the alumni, with 16 points, while Rylan van der Meulen scored 23 points for the senior boys Rockets.
The second game pitted the grads of 2006 to 2012 against the grads of 2013 to 2016.
The older alumni won that game 68-55.
Brickenden said both teams had balanced scoring, with many strong players.
“I think we saw some of the best basketball played in quite a few years,” he said.
In the third game, the girls alumni players defeated the present senior girls Rockets 56-35.
Haven Dufty was the scoring leader for the alumni team, with nine points.
Coaches Jenny Mitchell and Tama Corday joined the senior girls team. Mitchell, with 14 points, was the scoring leader for the Rockets.
In the semifinal game, the grads of 2013 to 2016 defeated the senior boys Rockets in a close 64-61 decision.
The Rockets added six points near the end of the game, but missed on two three-point attempts in the final seconds.
Once again van der Meulen was the scoring leader for the senior boys Rockets, with 24 points.
Spencer McIntosh had 12 points for the alumni team.
The final game, between the grads of 2005 and earlier and the grads of 2006 to 2012, ended in a 75-52 victory for the younger alumni.
Gary Gregg scored 10 points for the older alumni team, while Josh Thorton had 18 points for the younger alumni team.
