The Penticton Secondary School junior boys Lakers basketball team had to settle for fifth place at the Valley Championship tournament last weekend in Vernon.
Lakers coach Brian Hurst said the team came out strong against the Mount Boucherie Secondary School Bears, who had defeated them the previous two times they met on the court.
“Kieran Simpson got us off to a great start with some great hustle in the first quarter. It was a seven point game with a few minutes left with Mason Holt and Jacob Stewart leading the way with 14 points each,” said Hurst.
The Lakers then faced North Kamloops and had an eight point deficit at the half. The team pushed back in the second half of the game and bounced back to win 59-57, extending their season.
In their final match the Lakers met Westsyde, but couldn’t not keep their winning momentum — losing 53-32. Owen Labudie accounted for half of the Lakers points, scoring 16.
“We had great contributions all weekend, and this season from Brett Conquergood, Steven Searcy, Shane Borren, Ethan Giroux and Jordan Moore on the defensive end and good hustle,” said Hurst.