Massett wins first Masters Division championship at All Native Tournament
After winning two of the last three tournaments, the Bella Bella Masters were looking to return to the top of the division against a Massett squad seeking their first Masters crown.
The two team proved evenly matched in the early going, with Massett leading by one midway through the first and leading 26-21 at the end of the first.
Bella Bella chipped away at that lead though, trailing 32-31 five minutes into the second. Strong rebounding and spot-on shooting from Massett put them back in command as the Haida team took a five-point, 40-35 into the second half.
Massett opened strong in the third, going in a 11-5 run to lead 51-40 halfway through as dueling chants of "Go Nation Go" and "Go Haida Go" filled the gym. With one quarter to play Bella Bella found themselves with a lot of ground to make up, trailing 65-52.
The Massett momentum continued in the fourth frame, as Massett extended their lead to 19 point just two minutes in and led 77-58 with five minutes left in the game. From there the result was academic, as Massett took the banner back to Haida Gwaii with an 88-73 victory as song and drumming filled the air.
Prince Rupert finished third and Kitkatla finished fourth.
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