After a successful spring basketball season, the Salmon Arm Synergy U17 boy’s basketball Team capped off their 2018 club basketball season with a trip to the the Coast to compete in the National Club Basketball Championships.
After winning the Lake City Tournament in Penticton and finishing well at the Genesis Tournament in Calgary, Synergy was invited to the nationals in Langley. The tournament, which was sponsored by Basketball Canada, played host to 44 boys’ teams from across Canada.
Twenty teams competed in five pools within the U17 division. Salmon Arm entered the tournament last week with 16 wins and nine losses during their spring season. Heading down to the Coast, they knew they were going to be a bit rusty.
The coaches wanted the boys to use the tournament to measure what needs to improve between now and the school season. Heading into the tournament, they knew the Synergy team was unique. While other clubs hold tryouts and put together all-star teams, Synergy takes the top 10 players from the Golds’ school teams and the majority of the money collected goes right back into the school programs.
Related: Synergy Basketball Club wins Lake City Tournament
The coaches see this situation as an advantage, using the spring to build skills and work on relationships. Although winning is nice, the emphasis for the Synergy Club is to foster individual and team growth.
Although Synergy didn’t come out on top during their four days of competition in Langley, the trip was more than worthwhile, going up against great players and teams. Physical size and athleticism were big factors and the team learned that they need to get into the gym more consistently. Players also learned that preparation at a high and consistent level is important in elite competition. The best part of the weekend for the Synergy U17 team was the time they spent together, being a great time to bond as a team.
When it came to the games, Synergy lost two of their first three games in round-robin play on the first day of competition. In their first game Salmon Arm lost to Next Generation from Edmonton, 58-49. Although they trailed most of the game, Salmon Arm played hard right to the final buzzer.
In their second game, Synergy took on the U17 Dynamite team from Vancouver. Unable to handle the Dynamite’s full court pressure, especially at the end of the game, they fell 59-54.
It wasn’t until their third game that Synergy captured their first win in round-robin play as they knocked off the U17 Stormhawks from Edmonton 79-46. Tenacious defence and good transition offence allowed Salmon Arm to control the entire game against the Stormhawks.
On day two of the tournament, Synergy found themselves competing for placement in the playoff round, and were matched up against a strong and experienced team from Vancouver. Synergy led the entire first half and were up by 23 points. At halftime Synergy led 37 -24, but their opponents chipped away at Salmon Arm’s lead and tied the game 54-54 at the end of regulation. In overtime, Vancouver controlled all aspects of the game and defeated Salmon Arm 71-64 in a thrilling game that saw a huge crowd watch the two teams battle it out.
Related: Synergy wins club championship
During day three of competition, Synergy found themselves in the intermediate playoff pool as they placed fourth out of five teams in round-robin play. In their first game of the play-offs, Synergy faced a well-coached team from Prince George: the U17 Bounce squad, coached by Jordan Yu, a former UBC teammate of Salmon Arm Secondary star Casey Archibald’s. Although Salmon Arm gave the crowd a good show, Synergy was eventually defeated 54-42.
In their second game of the play-offs, Salmon Arm played with a chip on their shoulders in order to get back into the winning column. Tenacious team defence, fast offence and great togetherness propelled Synergy past the Shooting Stars team from Richmond.
In their final game, Salmon Arm was given a chance at redemption as they faced the Vancouver Dynamite team they lost to in round-robin play. Knowing they let a win slip away in their first meeting, Salmon Arm entered their final game with determination and energy. With solid defence and better offensive execution, Salmon Arm defeated Dynamite 67-51, placing fifth in the intermediate playoff division.
Submitted by Aaron Smith
@SalmonArm
newsroom@saobserver.net
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