There were no big surprises on Day 4 of the 2024 All Native Basketball Tournament Feb. 13, but with all the top seeds now in action and multiple eliminations on Tuesday, the race for the playoffs started to emerge.
In Senior Men’s play, both the teams from the 2023 final played their first games and easily advanced within the winners bracket.
The top-ranked and defending champion Skidegate Saints took on Kitamaat (Haisla), who had handily advanced over Bella Coola the day before.
The Saints bedeviled the Haisla team, though, doubling them up score with an 82 - 41 final.
Two years ago the Burnaby Chiefs eclipsed the field in the Intermediate Division for the championship and almost did the same last year in the Senior Division if it hadn’t been for Skidegate. On Tuesday, Burnaby also had no trouble advancing in the winners bracket by crushing Lax Kw’alaams 110 - 72.
On the floor for the Chiefs this year due to tournament residency requirements is Jesse Barnes, who followed up his 2019 Intermediate MVP title as the Senior MVP in 2020 playing with Skidegate. Barnes scored 19 points Feb. 13, second to Kobe McNight, who put up 30 and would have almost certainly been the MVP in 2023 had the Chiefs prevailed in the final.
Barnes will almost certainly end up facing his former team this week as Burnaby and Skidegate are only one game apiece away from lining up against each other in the winners division semi-final.
The senior division also saw its first elimination on Day 4 as Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) decisively hand Metlakatla BC its second loss in the ANBT double-knockout format.
For the women on Feb. 13, there were three more knockouts to go along with the four on Monday winnowing the field to 10 out of the original 17 teams.
Heiltsuk (Bella Bella), Massett and Ahousaht fell to Gitmidiik, Gitanmaax (Hazelton) and Kitamaat (Haisla) respectively.
It was also moving out day in the Masters Division as three more teams said goodbye to the hardwood.
Sidegate bumped out Lax Kw’alaams, Gingolx knocked off Nuxalk and Gitxsan sent Terrace packing.
The Intermediates also saw three teams bow out as Gitxaala, Laxgalts’ap (Greenville) and Ahousaht all suffered their second losses of the week to Lax Kw’alaams, Kitamaat and Skidegate respectively.
FEBRUARY 13, 2024 RESULTS - * indicates elimination
WOMEN’S DIVISION
9:30 a.m. Nuxalk (Bella Coola) 60 vs Similkameen 71
Top scorers
Nuxalk - Kashlyn Mack 24
Smilkameen - Jasmine Montgomery-Reid 31
1:00 p.m. *Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) 48 vs Gitmidiik (New Aiyansh) 78
Top scorers
Heiltsuk - Katelyn Peers 16
Gitmidiik - Grace Clayton 14
4:00 p.m. Gitanmaax (Hazelton) 77 vs *Massett 14
Top scorers
Gitanmaax - Taylor Wale 16
Massett - Naomi Swanson 4
8:30 p.m. *Ahousaht 50 vs Kitamaat (Haisla) 73
Top scorer
Ahousaht - Shakayla Thomas 13/Jennifer T 13
Kitamaat - Jennifer Nyce 13
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
8:00 a.m. Lax Kw’alaams 76 vs *Gitxaala (Kitkatla) 50
Top scorers
Lax Kw’alaams - Lloyd Dudoward 15
Gitxaala - Cole McKay 13
9:30 a.m. Kitamaat 73 vs *Laxgalts’ap (Greenville) 51
Top scorers
Kitamaat - Chaz Genaille 22
Laxgalts’ap - Bryson Stevens 21
11:00 a.m. *Ahousaht 52 vs Skidegate 56
Top scorers
Ahousaht - Quammi Frank 26
Skidegate - Daylyn Moraes 21
1:00 p.m. Gitxsan (Hazelton) 52 vs Massett 74
Top scorers
Gitxsan - Skyler Chisan 13
Massett - Stanley Swanson 28
6:00 p.m. Gingolx (Kincolith) 68 vs Prince Rupert 95
Top scorers
Gingolx - Cole Angus 20
Prince Rupert - Joe Lewis Jr. 32
SENIORS DIVISION
2:30 p.m. Gitmidiik (New Aiyansh) 54 vs Similkameen 119
Top scorers
Gitmidiik - Charles Leeson Sr. 18
Similkameen - Corbin Marsden Black Face 31
4:00 p.m. Burnaby 110 vs Lax Kw’alaams 72
Top scorers
Burnaby - Kobe McKnight 30
Lax Kw’alaams - Joshua Dennis 11
8:30 p.m. Kitamaat 40 vs Skidegate 82
Top scorers
Kitamaat - Jeremy Nyce 9
Skidegate - Tyler York 21
10:00 p.m. Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) 102 vs *Metlakatla BC 63
Top scorers
Heiltsuk - Germaine Starr 28
Metlakatla - John Ryan 15
MASTERS DIVISION
8:00 a.m. *Lax Kw’alaams 62 vs Skidegate 69
Top scorers
Lax Kw’alaams - Will Sheppard 24
Skidegate - Aaron Hans 19
11:00 a.m. Gingolx (Kincolith) 65 vs *Nuxalk (Bella Coola) 34
Top scorers
Gingolx - Simon Gurney 24
Nuxalk - Timothy Hans 16
2:30 p.m. Gitxsan (Hazelton) 75 vs *Terrace 60
Top scorers
Gitxsan - Robby Wilson 14
Terrace - Tony Gosnell 21
6:00 p.m. Massett 49 vs Prince Rupert 85
Top scorers
Massett - Jordan Williams 16
Prince Rupert - Derek Reece 19
10:00 p.m. Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) 87 vs Gitwinksihlkw 100
Top scorers
Heiltsuk - Ryan Humchitt 20/Clifford Starr 20
Gitwinksihlkw - Andrew Nyce 26