The Charles Bloom junior boys went 2-1 at the Timberwolves Invitational, losing 61-38 to the Similkameen Sparks of Keremeos in Saturday’s hoops final in Lumby.
Nine of 11 Similkameen players hit the scoresheet. Top scorers for Bloom were Peter Ufimzeff with 17 and Jared Sexsmith with a dozen.
Ken Gatzke’s boys opened with a 43-31 win over the Seaton Sonics. Bloom stormed out to a 28-8 lead early in the second quarter. Nine Bloom players hit the scoresheet, led by Peter Ufimzeff with 17 points. Brett O’Rourke and Jared Sexsmith each sank eight.
In their second game, Bloom bounced the short-staffed but very skilled Golden Eagles 47-39. Golden dressed only six players but dropped eight three-pointers and shot more than 75 per cent from the charity stripe.
Bloom again formed a balanced attack with eight players knocking down buckets, led again by Ufimzeff with 18 points. Jared Sexsmith again, flushed eight.
The VSS Panthers went 3-1 at the KSS Snowy Owl Junior Girls Basketball Classic, dispatching the Immaculata Mustangs of Kelowna 38-23 in their final game Saturday night.
Kristy Fugel was named to the All Defensive Team and sank nine points against the Mustangs. Tanner Lorenson and Anna Rice each supplied eight points and Jordyn Cullum had seven. Dayce Knopf earned Defensive MVP.
“We are asking for hard work and the team is giving exactly that,” said Cats’ coach Dave Tetrault. “It is nice to see many players improve their play over the past 10 days. The girls are focused on one goal: get better.”
Earlier Saturday, the Panthers stopped the Samon Arm Jewels 47-29 behind 10 points from Cullum and eight from Fugel. Jesssica Melvin, Emma Tetrault, Taylor Ostross and Megan Reeves each bagged four. Rice took Defensive MVP.
VSS bowed 58-33 to the Mt. Baker Wild of Cranbrook with Rice and Fugel each draining 10 points and Cullum collecting Defensive MVP.
Fugel flushed 11 points, including a late-tying free throw in the first overtime, as the Panthers opened by edging the Princess Margaret Mustangs of Penticton 48-47 in double OT.
Rice produced 10 points, while Lorensen scored eight and was named Defensive MVP.
