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鈥檚 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鈥檃laams.
But the chiefs seemingly effortlessly put up 122 points to Lax Kw鈥檃laams鈥� 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鈥檚 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鈥檃laams 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鈥� 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 Division games, Hesquiaht and Laxgalts鈥檃p (Greenville) respectively relegated Gitxaala and Lax Kw鈥檃laams to the elimination bracket.
DAY 2 (Feb. 12): COMPLETE RESULTS
Women鈥檚 Division
11 a.m.: Gitxaala 30 - Hesquiaht 77
Top Scorers
Gitxaala - Billie Leeson - 10
Hesquiaht - Jada Touchie - 21
2:30 p.m.: Laxgalts鈥檃p (Greenville) 80 - Lax Kw鈥檃laams 54
Top Scorers
Laxgalts鈥檃p - Braelyn Moore - 20
Lax Kw鈥檃laams - 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鈥檃t (Hartley Bay) 45
Top Scorers
Skidegate - Kole Jones - 24
Gitga鈥檃t - 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鈥檃laams 87
Top Scorers
Burnaby - Kobe McNight - 39
Lax Kw鈥檃laams - 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鈥檃laams 57 - Massett 79
Top Scorers
Lax Kw鈥檃laams - 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鈥檃t (Hartley Bay) 76
Top Scorers
Nuxalk - Vincent Edgar - 19
Gitga鈥檃t - 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.
editor@interior-news.com
Like us on and follow us on
