Boys' and girls' basketball teams from Churchill, Cross Lake and Norway House competed in Manitoba High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) provincial tournaments March 13-15 and March 20-22 in Dominion City, Sprague, Warren and Winnipeg, with one of the Norway House squads returning as winners of the consolation final after winning three of four games.
The Helen Betty Osborne Ininu Education Resource Centre (HBOIERC) Huskies from Norway House won the consolation title at the boys' AA provincials in Warren March 20-22, beating the host Warren Wildcats 72-60 in the consolation side final, with Alex Genaille of the Huskies named one of the players of the game and his teammate Andrew McKenzie taking all-star of the game honours.
That win was the second in a row for the Huskies, who won their first consolation side game 73-69 over the Teulon Saints, with Alfred Laugher named player of the game for HBOIERC.
The Huskies were knocked out of championship contention with an 86-56 loss to the Ste. Anne Lynx in the second round of the tournament, in which Ronald Robertson was the Huskies' player of the game. HBOIERC opened the tournament with a 76-53 win over the MacGregor Mustangs.
In Sprague, the Duke of Marlborough Storm from Churchill competed in the girls' A provincial championships March 20-22, dropping their opener 71-32 to the Rosenort Redhawks and then seeing their tournament end with a 48-35 loss to the Treherne Tigers. Laura Wasylkowski was the player of the game for the Storm against Rosenort, while Auldrey Basallo took the honours for Duke of Marlborough in the second game.
The Otter Nelson River School Nikiks from Cross Lake, who beat Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute from The Pas in double overtime in Thompson at the Zone 11 AAA junior varsity championships in Thompson March 2 to qualify for the provincials, were in Winnipeg for the AAA/AAAA junior varsity provincial tournament March 13-15. They opened the tournament against the Maples Marauders, who handed them a 79-29 defeat. The Nikiks were then relegated to the consolation side of the tournament, and were knocked out by a 67-27 loss to the Sisler Spartans. Garrett Trout was the Nikiks' player of the game in the opener and Braden Ross took the honours in the game against Sisler.
The junior varsity HBOIERC Huskies were in Dominion City for the A/AA junior varsity basketball provincials March 13-15, where they lost 68-22 to the Ross L. Gray Raiders from Sprague in their opening game and then dropped a 41-36 decision to the Carman Cougars in the consolation semi-finals. Jaise McKay was the player of the game for the Huskies in their first contest and Marshall Mowatt was named HBOIERC's top player in the second game.
