Marshall Noir
Special to the News
After an exhilarating run at the BC Summer Games, the Vic-City Swish decided to build on their prior successes and enter the BballNationals Tournament held on Aug 2-4 at the Langley Events Centre.
BBallNationals was set out to provide young athletes the opportunity to play on the national stage against club basketball teams from across Canada; the Vic-City Swish did not disappoint, competing with the very best Canada had to offer at the U13 level.
In the round robin, Vic-City threw the first punch, beating a very competitive VK U12 team from Greater Vancouver 54-26. Next, was a tough round against Big Country Basketball (Ontairo), a battle in which Vic-City lost 44-36 due to a sluggish first half. Day 2 saw the Swish jump out strong against a BC250/OC U13 team from the Okanagan. The Swish’s full-court press hindered BC250/OC’s ability to move the ball, and allowed the Swish to jump out to a 20 point lead at half. The pressure continued throughout the second half, and the Swish came out on top 80-25. The day ended with a hard fought battle against VK’s U13 team, and ultimately a 56-37 loss.
Day 3 of round robin play saw the Swish bring their A-game defeating both ASB (Alberta) 44-28, as well as a feisty Edmonton Suns team 70-14. The Swish ended the round robin in 3rd place and would again face a new found rival, Big Country Basketball, in the Semi Finals.
The Semi’s saw two teams ready to play. Both the Vic-City Swish and Big Country Basketball teams struggled to get their offence going, and at half the score was tied 32-32. The second half saw Big Country take a five point lead late in the game. Vic-City managed to close the gap to two using their full court press and impressive defensive skills, but it was too little too late. Big Country would take the game 44-42 advancing to the finals and placing the Vic-City Swish 3rd overall. A well deserved accomplishment for these dedicated youth.
The commitment, dedication, and athletic ability all of the Vic-City Swish players cannot be understated. They have not only become BballNationals Semi-Finalists, but most importantly, they have become life-long friends in the process. Congratulation the the Vic-City Swish on their 3rd place finish at BballNationals.