PREECEVILLE - The Preeceville School senior boys' basketball team co-hosted their annual tournament, the East Central Clash, with the Norquay Knights School on January 17 and 18. Originally, it was planned as a 16-team tournament with Norquay, Sturgis, and Kamsack as co-hosts. Due to icy conditions and cold weather, eight teams could not make the trip. Consequently, Norquay and Preeceville ended up hosting eight teams for the weekend. The teams that participated were the two host teams, Preeceville and Norquay, along with Kamsack, Canora, Hafford, Leask, Valour, and Watrous.
In the A-side tournament, Norquay emerged as the champion after defeating Preeceville, while Hafford secured third place. On the B-side, Leask claimed victory after defeating Valour in the final, with Watrous finishing third. Canora placed seventh, and Kamsack finished eighth.
The Preeceville boys kicked off the weekend with a game against Leask on Friday afternoon. “The boys played well in the first half, but Leask was able to close the gap before halftime, with Preeceville leading 46-33. In the second half, the boys shot well and played good team basketball to secure a 90-65 win,” stated Jay Steppan, the Preeceville coach.
With this victory, the Preeceville boys advanced to the semifinal, where they faced the Hafford Vikings at 9 a.m. on Saturday. This game was crucial for Preeceville, as Hafford is expected to be among the top three teams in the province in the 1A division. Preeceville started strong, securing several steals on defense and converting them into fast-break layups.
However, Hafford capitalized on some mistakes by the Panthers and closed the gap to just a four-point lead. In a tightly contested and physical game, Hafford took the lead by a single point at halftime, with a score of 44-43.
In the second half, the Panthers came out with intensity and launched a 7-0 run to regain the lead, holding on to that slight advantage late into the fourth quarter. In the final three minutes, the scoring fluctuated back and forth, and Hafford managed to tie the game in the last 30 seconds. The game ended in an 84-84 tie, necessitating a three-minute overtime.
During overtime, the Panthers played solid defense, allowing Hafford to score only four points. Meanwhile, Porter George stepped up, sinking all four of his free throw attempts, leading the Panthers to a thrilling 91-88 victory.
This win propelled the Panthers into the final against Norquay/Sturgis. In the championship game, Preeceville once again started strong, initially taking a one-point lead. However, Norquay/Sturgis responded well, making some key shots and capitalizing on turnovers to keep the score close at the end of the first quarter. The game featured impressive runs from both teams' and at halftime, Preeceville maintained a three-point lead.
In the third quarter, Preeceville extended their lead, but with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Norquay/Sturgis tied the game at 55-55. Subsequently, Norquay/Sturgis hit several crucial three-pointers late in the game, while the Panthers struggled to convert their opportunities. Ultimately, Norquay/Sturgis emerged victorious with a final score of 73-66, claiming the East Central Clash title.
“Congratulations to both teams for hosting a great weekend and making it to the final,” said Coach Steppan.
