Playing in its third game at the U17 National Basketball Championships, Yukon’s boys’ team suffered a disappointing 75-63 loss to P.E.I. in overtime Friday morning in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Team Yukon was held to a single point in the overtime after going into extra minutes tied at 62.
“We just fell apart in overtime,” said Team Yukon head coach Jamie Shaw. “We were tired … Some of our shots just didn’t fall in overtime. Sometimes that happens in basketball.”
In its first two games of the championships Team Yukon lost 133-44 against BC and 113-29 against Manitoba in its second game on Wednesday.
“We were beaten soundly by both of them,” said Shaw. “They are much, much larger teams than we are. Manitoba is huge, they’re even bigger than BC … It was difficult to play against guys that height, they just couldn’t rebound the ball.”
As he did in the BC and Manitoba games, Team Yukon’s captain Tony Nguyen led the charge, scoring 28 points with 16 rebounds.
“He’s been leading our team in scoring all summer,” said Shaw. “He’s playing in his third National Championships.”
Yukon’s girls playing on Team Territories, which is made up of players from all three territories, have not faired any better at the championships, so far going winless.
However, like the boys, the girls came within points of a win.
Tying the game four times in the fourth quarter, Team Territories eventually lost 51-48 to P.E.I. Thursday. The girls lost 84-16 to Alberta in the first game Tuesday and 72-43 to Newfoundland the next day.
The boys’ team is vying for a ninth-place finish in its final game Friday against Newfoundland. Not only does Team Yukon have to win for ninth, the players must accomplish this by 25 points.
The boys’ only win of the season came last week at the Bluenose Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They beat P.E.I. 65-59 on August 13.
Team Territories will be trying for its first win of the season Friday against Team Manitoba.