Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Sports

Salmon Arm U17 Synergy boys basketball tops division at Western Canadian Championships

Tournament win a fine send-off for teammates moving on to Grade 12
Cameron Thomson
17579433_web1_Synergyselect
Matthew Paiement (left), Darian Sundby and Steven Hardy played their last tournament representing Synergy Basketball on the Canada Day long weekend. (Photo submitted)

A Salmon Arm basketball team emerged victorious in their last tournament of the season.

Over the July long weekend in Langley, the Salmon Arm Synergy U17 boys team competed in the Western Canadian Championships Silver I division, facing off against Lower Mainland teams.

Read more: New Canada Elite Basketball League partners with Canada Basketball

Read more: Salmon Arm basketball star to be inducted into national hall of fame

The start to the round-robin style tournament was a rocky one. It began with Synergy losing to XV Training Academy from Vancouver, unable to fend off the three point shooters from the opposing team. The game ended with a score of 55-82 for the Academy.

The loss served as a wake-up call for the boys, who would go on to win their next game against Lower Mainland teams 3D Black (46-34) and F.O.R.M. Basketball (68-60). These wins landed Synergy in second place for the division which meant a semi-final game against the Whalley Tigers from Surrey.

The semi-final started off slow, Synergy was down by 12 points when the halftime whistle blew. Followed by a pep talk and a change in defensive strategy the Salmon Arm team got back into the game and by the third quarter the game was tied.

Following the change in defensive strategy and what was no doubt a rousing half-time speech, Synergy won 55-52.

Read more: Kevin Durant to leave Golden State Warriors, sign with Brooklyn Nets

Read more: Caribbean comedian finding laughs in the Okanagan

Next, Synergy was up against 604 Basketball – a team that had just beat XV Training Academy by 13 points in a semi-final game.

The team maintained the same defensive strategy from the semi-final and put together their best game of the season on both ends of the floor, winning 72-47 and securing the championship win.

The win served as a nice send off to Darian Sundby, Matthew Paiemont and Stephen Hardy who will play for the Salmon Arm Golds basketball team in the fall for their Grade 12 year.

@CameronJHT
Cameron.thomson@saobserver.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.