Basketball fans from around the region were treated to Terrace’s first three-day Riverboat Days Open Basketball Tournament from Aug. 8-10.
The Terrace Basketball Association wanted to see the city join other Northwest communities when it comes to hosting major basketball tournaments, so they began planning one of their own four years ago.
The tournament saw 12 men’s teams and six women’s teams compete against each other in a bracket competition for the top spot and cash prizes.
READ MORE: Inaugural Riverboat Days Open Basketball Tournament underway
The men’s basketball finals saw the Terrace Kermodes take on the All-Nations team on Saturday, Aug. 10 at the Sportsplex arena.
The All Nations Team was formed specifically for the tournament and consists of players from throughout the region and as far away as Vancouver.
“Some of us have been playing together for years. We used our old savvy bones to beat these young guys,” says team member Sean Dusdal, adding he hopes to see the tournament continue and grow.
“It’s more of a hockey town here, so if we can get a buzz going around basketball and get a little more support, we can get some more youth on board and hopefully model a good tournament for the community. That would be awesome.”
The All Nations won the tournament title, beating the Terrace Kermodes 58-51.
The women’s basketball finals saw the West Coast Storm take on the Haisla Ladies.
It was a close game through all four quarters, with the Storm athletes taking the lead in the first half. Two points separated the teams going into the third, where Haisla scored some needed three-pointers to bridge the gap and come ahead 50-43.
The Storm offence made one final push to regain their lead in the fourth, but the Haisla athletes held their ground to win the finals 60-58.
Organizer and association president Keith Azak says going forward he’s optimistic the tournament will rebound the city’s reputation as a host for major sporting events.
READ MORE: Hoop dreams for Terrace’s first major basketball tournament
brittany@terracestandard.com
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