The Carihi Tyees Senior Girls Basketball team rallied from a devastating, buzzer-beater loss to win two games and place fourth in the AA Vancouver Island championships at St. Michael’s University School in Victoria last weekend.
As the No. 4 seed from the North, the Tyees drew top-seeded Lambrick Park from the South in the opening round and quickly fell behind 14-1.
“We called a timeout and told the girls that the nerves should be gone and now it was time to play our basketball game,” coach Dana Dunsmore said.
The team responded by charging back from a series of deficits, the final one a nine-point hole with just four minutes remaining.
“The girls played the best four minutes of the season and took their first lead of the game with two seconds left in the game,” said Dunsmore. “Unfortunately, they called a timeout and set up a buzzer-beating three-point shot to stun the Tyees 53-52.”
Carihi bounced back with a 48-35 win over host St. Michael’s, then outdueled Pacific Christian 62-58 to earn a spot against North rival Mark Isfeld in the third-fourth place game.
A win there could have given the Tyees a chance to challenge the Vancouver runner-up for a spot in the provincial AA tourney, but Mark Isfeld claimed a 73-57 victory.
Ballenas topped Lambrick Park in the championship final, and both teams earned provincial berths.
The Tyees’ Kyra Boulding was named to the Island Championships All-Star Tournament Team, and Boulding and teammate Lidia Sanchez were also named to the North Island All-Star Team and will be competing in the North vs. South All-Star game in late March.
Carihi finished the season with a 16-7 record.
“Both coaches were very proud of the girls for bouncing back with two key wins after the devastating first-round loss,” said Dunsmore. “We had a very good group of dedicated girls who worked hard the entire season. It is the best team I have coached and I will remember this season and this group for a long time.”
