Morning Star Staff
Vernon had a dozen players in the 2013 Okanagan Basketball All-Star Game at the UBC Okanagan gymnasium Saturday.
The “Furnace” held four all-star games, including junior and senior teams for both girls and boys in the fifth annual showcase.
Jenna Marrion of the VSS Panthers drained 12 points and was named Player of the Game for the Light team, who bowed 68-54 to Team Dark in the senior girls final.
Panther teammates Quinsy Leier and Mary Rice also played for Team Light in the all-star tilt. VSS coach Bobby Mitchell guided the winners.
Capping the night, the senior boys Light team held off a late rally from the Dark team and pulled away to a 96-80 finish with an Alex Hart dunk at the buzzer to put the icing on top.
Hart (Immaculata Mustangs) was the Light team’s Player of the Game with a game-high and day-leading 29 points as he dominated from everywhere. Mike Rouault of the Fulton Maroons played for Team Dark.
What began as a close junior girls game throughout the first half became a pull-away 54-31 win for the Dark team.
Okanagan Mission Huskies’ Claire Smeltzer was the Dark team’s Player of the Game with 10 points. Kalamalka Lakers’ Jordan Korol flushed seven points.
Dayce Knopf and Anna Rice, both of VSS, and Danielle Maclellan of Fulton also played in the junior girls game with all but Knopf running for the Dark team, coached by Fulton grad Megan Faust.
Team Dark team locked down on defense for the fourth quarter to pull out a 54-51 win over Team Light in the junior boys game.
Summerland Rockets’ Abishek Lekhi was the Dark team’s Player of the Game with a game-high 15 points.
Corey Ang-Hamilton and Tye Kitzman, both Maroons, helped the Darks, while John Garvie of VSS and Brandon Isaac of Fulton played for Team Light.
