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Totem 69: Alberni teams place second and fourth at basketball tournament

Kate Basra named Totem Spirit winner

Another year of Totem has come to an end at Alberni District Secondary School.

It was a bittersweet moment for the home crowd as both Storm teams dropped their final games on Saturday, Jan. 11. The ADSS girls finished second to the Pacific Christian School Pacers, while the ADSS boys finished fourth.

It was the second year in a row that the ADSS girls finished second to PCS, although last year's game was much more lopsided (with a 73-41 final score). This year, the final score was 52-41. Alberni's head coach Greg Freethy said after the game that his team fell down 10 points "pretty early" in the game and were never quite able to catch up.

"After the first five minutes, we played them pretty much even," he said. "We just have to start on time. It was a little bit inconsistent early on in the game, but it was a good effort. We competed really well. I liked that we didn't quit."

The player of the game for ADSS was Amaya Parmar, who was hit in the face early in the game and had to be briefly taken out of the game for treatment.

"I didn't even think she was going to come back," Freethy admitted. "She went in and hit a few threes for us. I think she was a big reason that we were able to keep it close."

At the end of the tournament, Hayleigh Watts and Jaidin Knighton were named to the Girls All-Star team. Freethy said they certainly played like all-stars for ADSS.

"They both do a lot of damage for us," he said. "They're both terrific players."

The boys took to the court afterwards to face the Carihi Tyees and also found themselves down early in the game. Head coach Steve Sperger attributed a lot of this to nerves while playing in front of the home crowd. Sperger said Totem 69 had an amazing crowd and "electric" energy throughout the weekend.

"We didn't get the results we were looking for, but I think the effort level was there," he said. "Unfortunately, we didn't execute very well. We had too many turnovers and missed shots, which is not who we are. If it was a better start, maybe it would be a better result in the end."

The ADSS boys battled their way from a 20-point deficit to a six-point deficit, but ultimately fell 73-58 to the Tyees. The player of the game for Port Alberni was team captain Leif Aasen.

"He played well all weekend," said Sperger. "Tonight he had eight steals, he had 17 points. On the bench he kept being positive and kept his teammates going. There's a reason he's our captain."

During the final seconds of the boys' game, a fan in the stands had a medical emergency. The game was paused and the gym was momentarily evacuated so that first responders could attend. The fan was taken to the hospital, according to Totem emcee Charles Mealey.

At the end of the tournament, Kate Basra was named the Totem Spirit winner.

Final results:

Boys Totem Champion: Edward Milne

Boys MVP: Malakai Hills (Edward Milne)

Boys All-Star Team: Odis Simpson (Edward Milne), Arjan Sraw (Stelly's), Liam Tudway-Cains (Stelly's), Coen Erickson (ADSS), Carter Reynolds (Carihi).

Girls Totem Champion: PCS

Girls MVP: Kiki Tupas-Singh (PCS)

Girls All-Star-Team: Hana Nazawa (Belmont), Charlie Slater (Wellington), Hayleigh Watts (ADSS), Jaidin Knighton (ADSS), Shannon Fisher (PCS).

Most Sportsmanlike Team: Kwalikum

Totem Spirit Winner: Kate Basra



Elena Rardon

About the Author: Elena Rardon

I have worked with the Alberni Valley News since 2016.
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