The three-time champion (2018 - 2020) Haisla (Kitamaat) Ladies will return to the All Native Basketball Tournament final after a disappointing early exit as the first seed in 2022.

Today in the gym at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre, Haisla was up against defending champions Vancouver All My Relations (AMR) in a rematch of their Thursday meeting.

Whereas that game was a nailbiter, in which AMR made a late run, the Ladies were fully in command this afternoon opening a big lead in the first quarter, which they never relinquished.

By the end of the third quarter, Haisla was up 54-30. While Vancouver found a new gear in the final frame taking the quarter 16 - 6, the gulf had become just too wide to bridge. When the final buzzer sounded, it 60 - 47.

Coach Keith Nyce said it was gratifying to return to championship form.

鈥淲e got most of our players back that were with us last year and we put in the work and we expected to be back in the final,鈥� he said.

He was also proud of the way the team performed in the game.

鈥淲e had a great first quarter, a great second quarter, they were in the man-to-man and we were able to pick them apart pretty good,鈥� Nyce said.

He also noted that their shots were dropping today unlike yesterday when the Similkameen Starbirds knocked them into the elimination bracket which forced the semi-final with Vancouver.

Despite having to face the team in the final that sent them to the other side of bracket Nyce is cautiously confident.

鈥淲e felt that we didn鈥檛 show our best last night to Similkameen and we hope to be better tomorrow afternoon,鈥� he said.

Going into the final Nyce is preaching patience.

鈥淭he game plan is not to panic against their ball pressure,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have to deal with their ball pressure and their big. We鈥檙e not going to shut down their big, we know that, but we鈥檝e got to get some kind of control over her.鈥�

The Starbirds were the Cinderella story of last year鈥檚 tournament waltzing all the way through the winner鈥檚 bracket from relative obscurity undefeated including knocking off the first (Haisla), second (Gitanmaax) and fourth (Vancouver) seeds along the way before AMR found their number in the final.

This year, as the second seed, Similkameen was also undefeated on their way to the championship game.

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