At this point of the year, many basketball programs in the provincial high school scene are working on gelling together as a team.
That was the plan of attack for the John Paul II Crusaders senior boys’ basketball team on Dec. 15 and 16 as they hosted eight teams in their annual tournament.
“It was good to have some of the top teams of the province here, especially with Weyburn being the defending 4A champion and that’s the level we’re competing in once again this year for Hoopla,” Crusaders head coach Shalen Fox said.
“With our team, we got kind of a mix of experienced players along with our newcomers. We have three Grade 12’s, seven Grade 11’s and six Grade 10’s, but a few of those younger guys got some court time last year.”
Having won the consolation side at tournaments at Prince Albert Carlton and Weyburn, the Crusaders picked up a bronze medal with a 72-60 win over Swift Current.
“We played really well in our first game against Humboldt, lost a close semifinal to Weyburn and then bounced back with a nice performance in the bronze medal game,” Fox said.
“Right now our main focus is trying to get our systems down and working on our fundamentals. Getting up our hands to block shots, hitting the floor to get to loose balls and making a few free throws here or there makes a huge difference.”
Meanwhile, the Crusaders’ senior girls basketball team picked up a silver medal at their home tournament earlier this month and also posted a 2-2 record at an event held at Regina Balfour.
Both teams, along with the North Battleford Comprehensive High School Vikings programs, will be back on the tournament trail following Christmas as they all look to qualify for this 2018 Hoopla event, which will be held in Prince Albert.
