The Estevan Comprehensive School Elecs junior boys’ basketball team trounced the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles 63-47 to win the B-side championship at the Elecs home tournament on Saturday.
“We just played together as a team,” said Elecs coach Rob Gallaway. “Everybody came out and helped. Guys off the bench picked us up and we got a little bit of a push and rolled with it.”
“Jack McGeough, he really stepped it up off the bench,” added Elecs centre Carter Davenport about his fellow pivot. “It was just a combined effort. It was really well played.”
The Elecs and Eagles engaged in a back-and-forth battle through the first half with both clubs matching each other point for point. A lapse by Estevan in the final four minutes of the first quarter when the team seemed to frequently turn the ball over without getting a shot off ended with Weyburn taking a 15-11 lead into the second quarter. Estevan battled back in the second on the strong offensive play of point guard Jay Farley Espina, who drained 12 points in the frame including a clutch three with seconds remaining to give the Elecs a 33-30 lead heading into the second half.
After the two teams battled in an exchange of points through the beginning of the third quarter, Estevan began to take control near the end. Riding a strong game defensively in the paint by Davenport, who also contributed offensively with four points in the quarter, the Elecs jumped out to a 47-39 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Elecs’ Lais Lindquist and Luigi Ambita took over the game from there. The Grade 9 and 10 players, respectively, controlled the play defensively recording a number of steals from the Eagles, while also putting points on the scoreboard. Lindquist notched six of his eight total points in the frame, and Ambita registered four of his 14.
“We always like playing (Weyburn) and like beating them,” said Gallaway. “This is the third time we’ve played them well and we’ve beat them all three times.”
The Elecs got the opportunity to face the Eagles in the B-side championship game after losing their first game of the tournament 66-48 to the Moose Jaw Vanier Vikings on Friday night, before rebounding the next morning with a 61-36 win over the Caronport Cougars. The Swift Current Colts took the A-side final with a 68-44 win over the Vikings.
“Our first game could have gone a lot better,” said Davenport. “We were dogging it and we really should have picked up the first game. If we would have played how we played this game there was a very good chance we would have beat them.”
Gallaway said the team is enjoying a good start to their season and every player is showing improvement each time they get on the court. He said they lost a key point guard in Grade 10 player John Sasi to the senior team and are trying to find a replacement for his leadership and vision, but different players are stepping up in a bid to take over that spot.
“The Grade 9’s, they’re getting more playing time and they’re helping out and they’re starting to learn more,” he said. “I think by the end of the year we’ll probably be one of the best junior teams out there.”
