Skidegate Saints repeat as Seniors Division champions
The Kitkatla Warriors were largely untouchable as they walked through the competition to earn a spot in Seniors Division final, where they met up with the defending champion Skidegate Saints.
After losing to Kitkatla in their first game of the tournament, Skidegate enjoyed a small lead in the early going, and the two set the stage for a competitive game with a first quarter that ended16-14 in favour of the Saints.
The second got underway amid battling chants of "Go Warriors Go!" and "Go Saints Go!". Despite the encouraging chants, neither team could pull away the game was tied at 23 through five minutes of play. At the half Kitkatla led by a single basket, 32-30.
Skidegate retook the lead in the third and were up 45-41 through five minutes. An 11-0 run by the defending champions widened the gap 52-41 with 90 seconds on the clock, and Skidegate took a52-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
Kitkatla narrowed the gap to 57-56 with five minutes on the clock, setting up an exciting finish. As the clock wound down and the chanting grew louder, the Saints took a 68-61 lead into the final 90 seconds. Passing the ball and running out the clock, Skidegate was able to claim its second straight Seniors title with a 69-63 win.
"It is an unreal feeling. No words can describe what I feel right now. They are a very tough team, but we worked hard for this, playing seven games and coming through the losers bracket,"said Ridley Player of the Game Darcy Pearson.
"All of our family and fans are going to be very happy to get our trophy back."
After the game fans from both teams flooded the court and performed a song from their nation as the players danced. Following that, drummers, fans and players from Kitkatla and Skidegate joined together for a song a dance to the delight of the crowd.
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