All Native Basketball Days 2-3: Senior Division

Senior Division

MAIN DRAW

New Aiyansh (65) vs Massett (99)

Massett came out firing in this one, scoring the first 12 points of the game to open up a 26-12 lead after one. The Haida side worked the advantage to 80-48 after three, finishing just one point shy of the century mark. Massett’s Jordan Williams was the high points man with 23, while Phillip Clayton had the top New Aiyansh mark with 18.

Terrace (59) vs Lytton (72)

Lytton opened up a 39-27 lead by halftime, then starting off the third quarter with an 11-3 run to give themselves some breathing room. Thomas Grenier was on fire for Lytton as he knocked back 36 points including a whopping eight three-pointers. Keifer Collison had 15 for Terrace in the loss.

Ahousaht (95) vs Lax Kw’alaams (83)

This high scoring match remained close for most of the game, Ahousaht up 43-40 at halftime before working their lead to 66-56 after three. Lax Kw’alaams were ultimately unable to hold back their opponenets offensively though, as Ahousaht had their highest scoring quarter in the fourth with 29 points. Quammi Robinson had 34 points including five three-pointers, with teammate Luke Robinson adding 22. Taylor Russ gave it his all for Lax Kw’alaams with 27 points.

Kitamaat (59) vs Hazelton (56)

This match went down to the wire as Hazelton erased a double digit deficit to come so close to the win. Down 34-22 at halftime, by the time the buzzer sounded on the third quarter it was all even at 44. Kitamaat used an 11-5 run to take the lead, but Hazelton answered with seven points in a row to go up 56-55 late. The next shot though would be a clutch three from Kitamaat, followed by a defensive stop to seal the win. Kitamaat’s Nyce combo led the day, Quinton Nyce scoring 18 and Jeremy Nyce 17. Travis Smith had 16 for Hazelton.

Kincolith (82) vs Metlakatla AK (120)

Metlakatla announced their intentions in this tournament with an offensive explosion to kick things off. The game remained close after one with Metlakatla leading just 29-24, but the gap widened to double digits by halftime as the Alaska side gained a 53-42 lead. A third quarter thumping, 33 points scored including a 19-0 run, put the game well out of reach. Metlakatla topped that with 34 in the final quarter. Seven Metlakatla players hit double figures, led by Chris Bryant with 28. Danny Marsder Jr. (19), Bryan Hayward (19), Jase Scudero (16), Jason Enright (16), Glenn Blandov Jr. (11) and Clifton Guthrie (10) also put up the points. Kincolith’s David Stewart Jr. had 30 points of his own in the defeat.

Gitwinksihlkw (104) vs Bella Bella (105)

The final game of the first round was one of the tilts of the tournament, as Gitwinksihlkw and Bella Bella each battled to the century mark and beyond. Bella Bella had the hot start to go up 13-2, but Gitwinksihlkw roared back with 36 points in the second quarter to claim a 57-50 lead at the break. They kept things up with another high scoring quarter in the third to go up 84-75 after 30 minutes, even extending the lead to 90-75 early in the fourth. The momentum in the main gym began to shift though, as Bella Bella rattled off a 21-6 run to tie the game at 96. The teams traded buckets before a Bella Bella three gave them their first lead since the second quarter at 101-100. Bella Bella was cool from the free throw line following the shot, and watched a final tying effort from Gitwinksihlkw fail to hit the mark as they took the one point win. Clint Germyn had an outstanding performance in leading the Bella Bella comeback, contributing 46 points to the cause. Eric Nyce had 36 for Gitwinksihlkw.

#2 Skidegate (73) vs Massett (62)

An all Haida showdown was Monday’s feature event as the Old Massett Raiders looked to build off the morning’s performance to score an upset win. They were clearly still riding the momentum as the favourites could not gain any separation from their opponents, the Skidegate Saints leading just 32-31 at the break. Massett came out strong in the third to grab a 47-43 lead, but Skidegate got back in front 54-49 on a 6-0 run before the buzzer sounded. The game was well within striking distance for Massett at 66-60 Skidegate in the fourth, but a defensive lockdown in the final minutes allowed the Saints to close the game on a 7-0 run. Duane Alsop led the way for Skidegate with 17, while Darcy Pearson added 15. William Edwards scored 16 for the Raiders.

Tyler York (11) of Skidegate takes a three while being contested by Massett’s Cooper Wilson. York contributed 10 points to Skidegate’s winning effort on Monday night. (Alex Kurial / The Northern View)

#3 Prince Rupert (62) vs Ahousaht (85)

Ahousaht were clearly unfazed by their underdog status in this one, doubling up the ranked Prince Rupert side 24-12 after one. The home side had trimmed the lead to five by halftime, but a dominating 20-2 run by Ahousaht fully stomped out the Rupert comeback effort. Prince Rupert managed just eight points in the third quarter as the Ahousaht defence stepped up to the plate. Quammi Robinson again led the way for Ahousaht with 24 points, while Russell Reece was Rupert’s top scorer with 13.

Kitamaat (62) vs Metlakatla AK (92)

It may not have been as many points as their opening round game, but Metlakatla put up more than enough to get by Kitamaat and advance to the third round. The pace was set early as Metlakatla went up 18-2 to start the game, extending the lead to 20 by halftime. Kitamaat never got closer than 17 the rest of the way as the Alaska team torched another opponent. Chris Bryan had 20 points for the victors, while Clifton Guthrie added 15. Jeremy Nyce had a game high 26 points for Kitamaat.

Bella Bella (66) vs #1 Kitkatla (92)

Kitkatla’s quest for a three-peat started off strong with a convincing win over Bella Bella. Kitkatla leapt out to a 21-5 lead and never looked back, consistently building the lead each and every quarter. As expected, Kitkatla’s back to back MVP and star player Jacob Thom led the way with 36 points on six threes. Clint Germyn knocked back 25 for Bella Bella.

Fans are in for a treat on Thursday afternoon when Kitkatla takes on Metlakatla for a shot at the semi-final.

CONSOLATION BRACKET

New Aiyansh (52) vs Terrace (88)

The road ended for two teams on Tuesday night, starting with Terrace as they were overrun by New Aiyansh. Terrace started out hot going up 7-1, but New Aiyansh settled into the game and controlled play the rest of the way. They were up 18-12 after one and 38-22 by halftime, winning every quarter after the first. Raymond Clayton had a big 27 point effort in the win, with Terrace splitting their high scorers as Ryan Frank and Mason Kroker each scored 15.

Lax Kw’alaams (76) vs Hazelton (50)

Lax Kw’alaams responded well from their loss to Ahousaht, allowing a mere 18 points in the first half as they stifled Hazelton left and right. Hazelton were unable to employ the tight defence that kept them close to Kitamaat in the first round, and found themselves well outplayed in the fourth as Lax Kw’alaams outscored them 23-13. All 12 players had points for Lax Kw’alaams, Taylor Ross on top of the pack with 17. Travis Smith had a game high 23 points for Hazelton, but it was not enough to save their championship hopes.

Alex Kurial | Sports Reporter

Alex Kurial