Chalk up another tournament victory for the Kwalikum Secondary School (KSS) Kondors senior girls basketball team, as they took home first place at the Nairn Howe Memorial Tournament on Salt Spring Island this past weekend.
The senior girls squad won their second tournament victory of the season, beating three teams on their way to being crowned the winners of the 12th Nairn Howe Memorial Tournament.
The Qualicum Beach team beat Maple Ridge Christian School in the final by a score of 55-24 to take home first place.
“It was a great tournament,” head coach Butch Gayton said. “I thought our girls played very well all weekend long and it really showed on the floor for us.”
“We had a great time getting away as a team, the girls bonded very well, again it showed as they played some of their best team basketball I’ve seen them play all season so far.”
“So it’s nice to see that happen, for sure, especially at this time of the season as we ramp up for the North Island and Island tournaments,” Gayton said.
Jordanne Hansen took home the Nairn Howe Memorial award for the Kondors, for demonstrating the qualities that the tournament name-bearer (Nairn Howe) exemplified during her life.
Hansen also took part in the three-point contest, where two players from different teams (one boy and one girl) team up to see who can make the most three-pointers in an allotted amount of time.
Hansen and her partner won the three-point contest.
“She had a good weekend too,” Gayton said.
“Jordanne has been a solid player for us all season and shows the qualities that she was recognized for at this tournament every day. I was very proud of her receiving the Nairn Howe Memorial award and pretty happy for her winning the three-point competition as well.”
Alex Shaw, Maya Gayton and Ana Franco all received player of the game honours for the Kondors.
Shaw took home the honours in the first game for KSS, a 48-29 win over Stelly’s (Saanich). Shaw had 13 points in the win, while Gayton poured in a season-high 25 points for the Kondors.
Gayton would take home player of the game honours in the Kondors’ second game, a 50-23 win over Carihi (Campbell River). Gayton had 12 points in the win, leading the way on offense for the Kondors once again. Franco took home player of the game honours in the final against Maple Ridge Christian school, scoring 13 points in the Kondors’ win.
“We played great team basketball all weekend,” Gayton said. “We had lots of girls scoring the ball all weekend, which made it real nice for us as a team. When you can share the basketball around like that, it makes life much easier on you as a team on offense and gives the other teams fits on defense. After a big weekend like this, with the way they played on the floor and the way they came together off the floor, I’m hoping to see that rub off on the girls as we continue going forward.”
The Kondors are home to the Highland Highlanders (Comox) 5 p.m. tonight at KSS.
