Day 4 of the All Native Basketball Tournament in Prince Rupert on Feb. 14 saw the remainder of the top-ranked teams get into the action and the first eliminations of the eight-day competition.
By virtue of having the 8 a.m. draw on Tuesday, it was the Gitxaala Masters who had the dubious distinction of being the first team to lose two games and thus bow out of the tournament.
Skidegate, who had been relegated to the elimination bracket on Sunday by Haisla (Kitamaat), took control from the opening jump, putting up eight unanswered points early in the first quarter and steadily building the lead to 28-8 by the end of the frame.
Gitxaala actually won all three of the remaining quarters 10 - 8 in the second, 19 - 17 in third and 12-11 in the fourth, but the hole was just too deep to get out of.
By the end of the day, three more Masters teams would be say goodbye to their opportunity to be champions.
In the 11 a.m. draw, Lax Kw’alaams fell to Hieltsuk. Later in the evening Haisla, who had to face second-ranked Gitwinksilkw after their first-round win could not stand up to Gitga’at (Hartley Bay).
Hydaburg AK, Masters Division five-time champions from 2015 - 2019, easily knocked out Nuxalk 92 - 54 after barely losing to Gitxsan (Hazelton) by a single point in the opening round.
There were also eliminations in the Women’s and Intermediate Divisions.
The Intermediates from Gitxaala were the first to go in that division in the 9:30 draw just after their Masters counterparts had been.
The Haisla Intermediate team fell next losing to Gitga’at in their 11 a.m. game.
On the women’s side, Prince Rupert bumped Heiltsuk out of the tournament in the 8 p.m. draw.
But it was also the Gitxaala women who fell first in that division earlier in the day making it a clean sweep of first eliminations for the teams from Dolphin Island in each of the divisions except Seniors.
It is far from over for Gitxaala Nation, however, as the top-ranked team and defending champions in the Seniors division advanced in the winners bracket in their first game Feb. 14 over a tough Gitxsan squad. It was a tight game through three periods.
Gitxaala got a slight early lead winning the first quarter 14 - 11. But the gritty Gitxsan squad battled back in the second to take a two-point lead at the half. Gitxsan would also edge the defending champs out in the third quarter bumping their lead to three.
The last frame would be Gitxaala’s however as they outscored their opponent by seven for the 64 - 60 win.
They remain a favourite in the race to the final although they will go up today against the Burnaby Chiefs who are showing no signs that they have just jumped divisions this year after dominating the Intermediate Division for that title in 2022.
The only other ranked team who didn’t play before Tuesday was the third-ranked Gitanmaax (Hazelton) women who also became the only other ranked team, along with the Nuxalk Intermediates, to lose their bye game.
Gitanmaax took a slight lead 8-7 over 2023 host Nation Laxgalts’ap (Greenville) into the second quarter, but fell behind by five by the end of the second. In the third, Brae Moore got hot knocking down five baskets for 10 points and leading Laxgalts’ap to a 20-8 advantage in the frame. While Gitanmaax rallied in the final quarter winning it 14-9 it was too little too late as they fell 48-36.
Gitanmaax had no trouble at all however, Wednesday morning as they dispatched Gitga’at from the tournament 66 - 22 to advance in the elimination bracket.
Day 4, February 14, Complete Results
WOMEN’S DIVISION
All games will be played in the arena
9:30 a.m. Gitanmaax (Hazelton) 36 vs Laxgalts’ap (Greenville) 48
Top Scorers
Gitanmaax - Misty Wells - 13
Laxgalts’sp - Brae Moore - 19
1 p.m. Gitmidiik (New Aiyansh) 42 vs Haisla (Kitamaat) 62
Top Scorers
Gitmidiik - Roberta Gosnell - 14
Haisla - McKenna Stevens - 15
2:30 p.m. Gitxaala (Kitkatla) 43 vs Lax Kw’alaams 50
Top Scorers
Gitxaala - Gail McKay - 11
Lax Kw’alaams - Cora Sankey - 26
8 p.m. Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) 48 vs Prince Rupert 61
Top Scorers
Heiltsuk - Shayla Schooner - 19
PR - Celine Jeffrey - 15
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
All games will be played in the main gym
8 a.m. Skidegate 72 vs Lax Kw’alaams 64
Top Scorers
Skidegate - Tyler Jones - 26
Lax Kw’alaams - Lloyd Dudoward - 28
9:30 a.m. Gitxaala (Kitkatla) 79 vs Gingolx (Kincolith) 84
Top Scorers
Gitxaala - Cole McKay - 27
Gingolx - Edward Azak - 27
11 a.m. Haisla (Kitamaat) 53 vs Gitga’at (Hartley Bay) 73
Top Scorers
Haisla - Ethan Amos - 29
Gitga’at - Jon Clifton - 41
6:30 p.m. Nuxalk (Bella Coola) 46 vs Gitmidiik (New Aiyansh) 81
Top Scorers
Nuxalk - Josh Schooner - 13
Gitmidiik - Michael Morven 24
SENIORS DIVISION
All games will be played in the main gym
1 p.m. Metlakatla BC 69 vs Nuxalk (Bella Coola) 62
Top Scorers
Metlakatla - Will Nicholls - 24
Nuxalk - Clifford Thompson - 15
2:30 p.m. Lax Kw’alaams 112 vs Gitga’at (Hartley Bay) 36
Top Scorers
Lax Kw’alaams - Glenn Blandov
Gitga’at - Austin Basso - 14
8 p.m. Similkameen 81 vs Haisla (Kitamaat) 56
Top Scorers
Similkameen- Jesse Vissia - 26
Haisla - Jeremy Nyce -15
9:30 p.m. Gitxaala (Kitkatla) 64 vs Gitxsan (Hazelton) 60
Top Scorers
Gitxaala - Dustin Eaton and Bruce Hill Jr. - 17
Gitxsan - Colton Murrell - 15
MASTERS DIVISION
All games will be played in the arena
8 a.m. Skidegate 65 vs Gitxaala (Kitkatla) 48
Top Scorers
Skidegate - John MacIntyre - 22
Gitxaala - Jeremy Brown - 14
11 a.m. Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) 58 vs Lax Kw’alaams 43 (eliminated)
Top Scorers
Heiltsuk - Ryan Humchitt - 17
Lax Kw’alaams - Will Sheppard - 20
4 p.m. Hydaburg 92 vs Nuxalk (Bella Coola) 54 (eliminated)
Top Scorers
Hydaburg - Ben Young - 23
Nuxalk - Kelly Mitton - 15
6:30 p.m. Haisla (Kitamaat) (eliminated) 56 vs Gitga’at (Hartley Bay) 59
Top Scorers
Haisla - Ed Smith- 17
Gitga’at - Derek Reece - 20
9:30 p.m. Gitwinksihlkw 63 vs Prince Rupert 87
Top Scorers
Gitwinksihlkw - Eric Nyce
PR - Kyle Cline - 27