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Salmon Arm Secondary Golds go 3-1 in No Regrets basketball tournament

Senior team keeping up the momentum after previous tourney win
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Alton Neid of the SAS Golds basketball team jumps for a layup during their game against the Seycove Seahawks during the No Regrets tournament in North Vancouver. (Image contributed)

The Salmon Arm Secondary Senior Golds basketball team travelled to the Coast this past weekend and put up a solid record in the No Regrets Tournament held in Vancouver Dec. 6 to 8.

The Golds began the tournament with a tough loss against West Vancouver High in front of West Van’s large and supportive home crowd. The Golds began the contest well and found themselves up by 12 in the first quarter; however, as West Van turned up the intensity the Golds found themselves only up by three at halftime and the Golds found it difficult to keep the lead. Salmon Arm eventually lost their opening game 60 – 51. Daniel Wyss led the Golds with 16 points and was the only player to stand out on the score sheet in the first game for the Golds.

After a disappointing loss in their first game, the team reminded themselves to stay focused on getting better, and they did just that for the remainder of the tournament. Different players stepped up at different times and the team progressed.

Related: SAS Golds win basketball tournament against league rivals

In the Golds’ second game, they defeated Seycove from North Vancouver, the number one ranked AA team in B.C., 77-63. Two players stood out for the Golds and each recorded double-doubles. Gavin Limber, who was named player of the game, led all scorers with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Silas Hecker added 11 points of his own and 12 rebounds.

The Golds’ next win came at the expense of Argyle from West Vancouver. The team from Salmon Arm played with the type of energy and toughness they have been striving for. For 40 minutes the Golds controlled both ends of the court and came away with a convincing 72-40 victory. Limber led the Golds again with 15 points, Evan Smith added 14 points, and Darian Sundby, who was named player of the game, had 13 points.

Although they were edged out of the tournament final, the Golds came away with a consolation final win in their last game of the tournament, defeating Collingwood from West Vancouver 63 – 61. The game saw multiple lead changes throughout, with the Golds down by four points going into the final few minutes. However, with tenacious defence and some clutch three-point shots near the end of the game, the Golds were able to hold off Collingwood with a two-point victory.

Noah Jansen led all scorers with 16 points and was named player of the game. Evan Smith, who had the hot hand late in the game, ended with 14 points, while Jackson Mayes added 10 points of his own and Limber, who was named to the tournament All-Star Team, controlled the boards with 15 rebounds and plenty of assists.

The Golds are off to Edmonton this Wednesday, to compete in the Jasper Place Rebel Invitational. The Golds will play their first game of the tournament against Ross Sheppard, one of the top teams in Edmonton. Tip-off is at 10:30 AM, Alberta time. After arriving home on Sunday, the Golds will prepare for their last game before the Christmas break which will be a league game against Rutland, from Kelowna, on Tuesday night.

-Submitted by Aaron Smith

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Jackson Mayes of the Salmon Arm Secondary Golds moves the ball up the court while a Collingwood defender comes in to intercept him. (Image contributed)
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Evan Smith of the SAS Golds basketball team eyes up a shot during the North Shore Invitational No Regrets tournament, held Dec. 6-8 in North Vancouver. (Image contributed)