The Humboldt Collegiate Institute senior boys' basketball team took home top spot at a tournament in Middle Lake over the weekend, winning all three of their games en route to the championship.
The boys opened things up on the night of Jan. 17 with a win over Wolseley, but it was the semi-final against Middle Lake that was without doubt the highlight of the tournament. It was the fourth time the two teams had met during the season and the game was an intense struggle, with neither side able to pull away from the other, similar to a previous contest between the two at a tournament in Asquith.
In an unexpected twist, HCI head coach George Ewen was ejected after picking up his second technical foul early in the second half. Despite the loss of their head coach the team was able to pull out a thrilling 58-55 win after a last ditch attempt by Middle Lake to tie the game in the waning seconds fell short. Matthew Ortman controlled the paint with several key blocks while point guard Tyler Kwasnica hit two key three-pointers late in the game to secure the win.
The win moved HCI into the final against Canora, where they held a comfortable lead throughout and won a relatively stress-free game.
Also participating in the tournament was the HCI junior varsity team, which finished with a record of 1-2, losing to Rosthern Junior College and Lake Lenore before beating Creighton in their final game of the tournament.
Both teams will be in action this weekend at a tournament hosted by the senior team at HCI. The tournament begins on Friday, Jan. 24.
Note: The author of this story is also the assistant coach for the senior boys' team. He did an especially great job filling in after Coach Ewen was ejected against Middle Lake.
