Karrah Roelfsema scored 12 points and added eight boards as the Lake City Basketball under-14 girls downed Abbotsford 43-36 to win the 3D (Discipline. Dedication. Determination.) Western Canadian Championships.
“In tough moments, Karrah’s determination and intensity carried us,” said Lake City coach Chris Terris of their victory at the University of Fraser Valley, July 1 to 3. “She made some tough hoops and grabbed some key rebounds when we needed a spark.”
Lake City had just seven players over the weekend and Terris said his team had to dig deep as they went 4-0. Lexi Corday added 10 points and five assists, while Jacqueline Mansiere chipped in eight points and six boards. Brinay Burdick added seven points and five boards.
“Lexi was our floor general all weekend, controlling the pace and putting defenders on their heals … with her ability to attack the paint.”
Lake City opened with a 32-20 win over Vancouver. Roelfsema led with 10 points and six boards, while Sophie Brydon, Corday and Burdick chipped in six points. In their second game, Lake City crushed Lynn Valley 48-12. Brydon and Roelfsema led the offence with 14 and 12 points respectively. Mansiere added eight points and collected 10 boards. In their third game, Brydon helped Lake City whip Yukon’s Lynx Basketball U15 71-21 by scoring 26 points, adding five rebounds and four steals. Burdick and Corday each had 12 points. Terris added that Kassandra Hintz played great defensively and that Morgan Montgomery-Reid made great passes, setting up teammates for easy looks.
“The most rewarding aspect of the weekend was to see such continued growth in the girls,” said Terris. “The final had lots of ebb and flow. There were several moments, including a key one in the second half, where we struggled and lost our composure a little. 3D brought some full-court pressure in the second half and went on a run to grab the lead. To see them respond so positively, particularly given the level of fatigue with just seven girls, was fantastic.
Lake City U15 boys end on winning note
The Lake City under-15 boys basketball team were in Burnaby for the Western Canada Championship, winning the last of its four games.
Lake City topped the Comox Valley Lakers 51-45 led by Tyson Douangpanya’s 16-point effort. He added four rebounds, two steals and a block. Lake City coach Eron Labadie said it was a well-earned win.
“We got some great guard play in this game and were led by our back court duo of Tyson Douangpanya and Owen Labadie,” said Eron. “Tyson played like a man on a mission this entire tournament. You could really see that he was becoming comfortable in our offence and his confidence was shining through.”
Nader Abedel-Kerim gets air while taking a shot during the Western Canadian Championship.
Lake City opened the tournament against 3D and lost 48-26. Nader Abedel-Kerim led with nine points and five rebounds. Steven Searcy tried to provide spark from the bench adding three points with two steals and a rebound. Against AthElite, Lake City lost 53-38. Jacob Stewart collected 10 boards. In their final loss, 48-35 against TransCanada, Lake City battled hard. Will Casimir-Eneas dominated the boards with 10 rebounds and added eight points. Stewart had 10 rebounds and five points.
The Western Canadian Championships has established itself as Western Canada’s premier summer basketball tournament. Teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Washington, Oregon, California, and Colorado have traveled to compete in one of British Columbia’s top tournaments.
In other Lake City program news, a fall youth league from September to November on Sunday. They have sections available in Grades two through five. Email lakecity.youthbasketball@gmail.com . More information and registration forms are available at http://lakecitybasketball.weebly.com/camps.html.