Usually, at the All Native Basketball Tournament, a defending champion gets a bye into the second round of the winners bracket and an opportunity to defend their title.
But that would not be the case for the Burnaby Chiefs this year. That’s because the team that breezed through the Intermediate Division on its way to the title in 2022 is now in the Senior Division.
On paper, the last draw in the main gym on Day 2 of the tournament, should not have been a first-round free pass for the squad from down south as they were facing the big, tough, fundamentally solid team from Lax Kw’alaams.
But the chiefs seemingly effortlessly put up 122 points to Lax Kw’alaams’ 87 to advance to the second round in the winners bracket against the winner of Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) and Prince Rupert tomorrow (Feb. 13).
Burnaby’s Kobe McNight, the 2022 Intermediate Division MVP, also lived up to his advance billing with 39 points on the night. Teammate Ronnie Battle also cracked the 30-point mark with 32 including a flurry of five straight three-pointers in the fourth quarter.
On the Lax Kw’alaams side of the court, Glenn Blandov and Wesley Kaine led the way with 27 and 26 points respectively.
While the Chiefs may have proven they may have what it takes to be a contender in their new division, the road to the final will not get any easier. The path through the winners’ bracket includes defending champions Gitxaala (Kitkatla), second-ranked Skidegate and third-ranked Massett.
Day 2 also saw the first games played in the Masters (six) and Women’s Divisions (two).
In the early draw (8 a.m.), it looked like the Masters were going to follow the trend from Saturday of blowouts as Prince Rupert ripped apart Gitxaala (Kitkatla) 107-28 in the main gym. But in the arena it was a tighter affair with Haisla (Kitamaat) prevailing over Skidegate 70-53.
The only real nailbiter of the tournament so far came in the Masters Division 1 p.m. draw in which Gitxsan (Hazelton) edged Hydaburg (Alaska) by a single point 49-48.
In the two Women’s Division games, Hesquiaht and Laxgalts’ap (Greenville) respectively relegated Gitxaala and Lax Kw’alaams to the elimination bracket.
DAY 2 (Feb. 12): COMPLETE RESULTS
Women’s Division
11 a.m.: Gitxaala 30 – Hesquiaht 77
Top Scorers
Gitxaala – Billie Leeson – 10
Hesquiaht – Jada Touchie – 21
2:30 p.m.: Laxgalts’ap (Greenville) 80 – Lax Kw’alaams 54
Top Scorers
Laxgalts’ap – Braelyn Moore – 20
Lax Kw’alaams – Denise Wilson – 26
Intermediate Division
1 p.m.: Massett 102 – Gingolx (Kincolith) 53
Top Scorers
Massett – Stanley Swanson – 35
Gingolx – Edward Azak – 20
2:30 p.m.: Skidegate 120 – Gitga’at (Hartley Bay) 45
Top Scorers
Skidegate – Kole Jones – 24
Gitga’at – Aiden Brown – 17
Seniors Division
11 a.m.: Nuxalk (Bella Coola) 50 – Similkameen 111
Top Scorers
Nuxalk – Clifford Thompson – 20
Similkameen – Sterling Peterson – 31
4 p.m.: Burnaby 122 – Lax Kw’alaams 87
Top Scorers
Burnaby – Kobe McNight – 39
Lax Kw’alaams – Glenn Blandov – 27
Masters Division
8 a.m. (Arena): Haisla (Kitamaat) 70 – Skidegate 53
Top Scorers
Haisla – Craig Windsor – 23
Skidegate – John MacIntyre – 12
8 a.m. (Main Gym): Prince Rupert 107 – Gitxaala (Kitkatla) 28
Top Scorers
Prince Rupert – George Kelly – 26
Gitxaala – Gerald Innes – 10
9:30 a.m. (Arena): Gingolx 56 – Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) 42
Top Scorers
Gingolx – Darcy Stevens – 17
Heiltsuk – Rod Chippewey – 17
9:30 a.m.: Lax Kw’alaams 57 – Massett 79
Top Scorers
Lax Kw’alaams – Will Sheppard – 18
Massett – Wilfred Marks – 20
1 p.m.: Gitxsan (Hazelton) 49 – Hydaburg AK 48
Top Scorers
Gitxsan – Colin Jack – 13
Hesquiaht – TJ Young – 18
4 p.m.: Nuxalk (Bella Coola) 55 – Gitga’at (Hartley Bay) 76
Top Scorers
Nuxalk – Vincent Edgar – 19
Gitga’at – Derek Reece – 29
There is a full slate of 18 games scheduled for Day 3 of the 2023 All Native Basketball Tournament on Feb. 13.
SCHEDULE: Day 3 schedule of the 2023 All Native Basketball Tournament
editor@interior-news.com
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