There are two roads to travel at the 2012 B.C. Junior All Native Basketball Championships in Port Alberni. The high road and the low road and both can be found on the map, better known as the tournament draw.
All teams start on the high road, or the winners’ bracket. If a team wins, they stay on the high road, but if a team loses, they go to the low road, or the losers’ bracket.
The high road is easier to travel. It is a shorter route, but teams must be at their best to stay it. The low road is tougher to negotiate. There is more traffic, there are more obstacles, and the route is longer—a lot longer.
Tournament Photos at: http://www.hashilthsa.com/photos
Sitting alone on the girls’ side, having travelled the shorter route , are the Ahousaht Mystic Sunz. The team from the West coast find themselves in the final after four straight wins, the last being a convincing 58-46 victory over Gingolx on Thursday evening.
The two teams on the low road are both named Storm. The first, the aforementioned Gingolx, and the second, Snuneymuxw, will meet each other on Friday morning, with the winner moving on to the tournament final against the Mystic Sunz on Friday afternoon.
Ahousaht will await the winner, comfortable in the knowledge they have beaten both teams in this tournament.
Gingolx have had a fairly short journey to this point, having won their first three games before stumbling against Ahousaht on Thursday.
Snuneymuxw, however, has taken a longer route. After winning their first three games against some very strong competition, the team from Nanaimo lost to Ahousaht on Wednesday night before winning two games on Thursday to set up the meeting with Gingolx.
Snuneymuxw was not considered a contender in this year’s tournament, but after having knocked off some contending teams to get to where they are now, the underdog label can now be removed, which suits this team just fine.
“At all of the different tournaments on the Island this year we’ve either been missing players or we’ve had injured players,” said coach Paul Seward. “But now we have everyone here. Lots may have called us an underdog, but I say we can run with the best of them.”
If Storm is to get to the final they will have played eight games in five days, with six of those games played over the last three days. But this team hasn’t looked at their gruelling schedule from that perspective.
“We’re focusing on one game at a time,” said co-coach Gino John of his team’s mindset. That focus, along with an inner strength, is something the coaching staff feels will help their team in their quest.
“They came here to win a championship,” added Seward. “They’re making their hearts and minds work as one. That is their strength.”
Meanwhile, on the boy’s side of the tournament, the same scenario has played out and three teams will be left standing on Friday morning, ready to vie for top spot later in the day.
Heiltsuk Nation from Bella Bella is in the driver’s seat by virtue of a convincing winners’ bracket victory over Syilx on Thursday night and will play Skidegate on Friday morning.
The championship finals for both the girls and boys will be played at Alberni Athletic Hall on Friday afternoon. The girl’s final tips-off at 1 p.m., while the boy’s final is scheduled for a 2:30 pm start.
