Men’s basketball eliminate Alberta in semifinals to advance to gold-medal game

Team BC men’s basketball team defeated Alberta in today’s semifinal game, with a final score of 86-41. The team looked confident and well-polished, a good sign heading into tomorrow’s gold medal game at 11:00am.  

Michael Kelly (North Vancouver) came off the bench to score 17 points, including five three-pointers in the first half. He ended the second quarter with three consecutive three-pointers, with no answer from Alberta. 

“He’s absolutely on fire,” said a parent watching the game. “It’s nice to see him having such a terrific game, he deserves it. He works hard out there every game.” 

The team had a strong first quarter, outscoring Alberta 25-9 and setting the tone early. In the second quarter, Kelly’s run of six, and two from Sterling Peterson ended the half with BC leading 50-20.  BC stayed well ahead for the remainder of the game.

“I thought they all played well,”especially after a late game yesterday and a short turnaround to prepare for this game,” says head coach Joe Enevoldson. 

Other standout players of the game included Sam Bailey (North Vancouver), Grant Shephard (Kelowna) with 15 points, Sam Bailey (North Vancouver) with 12, and Cameron Morris (Burnaby) with 8 points. 

Team BC plays Manitoba tomorrow at 11:00am for the gold medal. “We’re excited,” says Enevoldson. “It’s a great opportunity to play in a game we’ve been working toward all season.” He expects Manitoba to put up a fight – “We’re teams with two contrasting styles. Manitoba plays with high intensity and pressure in the full and half court. We’re bigger, but we’re not as quick. Whoever is able to play the game at their pace will be the successful team.” 

Good luck to Team BC in the finals!