The Isfeld Ice senior boys basketball team captured the triple-A north island crown on the weekend in Nanaimo.
In the semi-finals, John Barsby Secondary put up a great battle in a game that saw the Ice take several leads only to see the Nanaimo school fight back and take the game down to the final minutes. Key baskets at the end by Jasper Halvorson and Ryder Dumonceau helped Isfeld hang onto an 81-77 win, which put them in the final against rival Carihi of Campbell River.
Isfeld jumped to an early lead but Carihi battled back to take a one-point lead after the first quarter. The Ice then went on one of their runs to outscore their opponent 40-13 in the second quarter to hold a 65-39 halftime lead. Isfeld stopped any run by Carihi in the second half and won 106-85 to secure the north island number one seed at Islands. Temwa Mtawli guarded Campbell River’s top player and had a game high 40 points. Kye Kotapski-Tinga scored 24 and Halvorson hit for 19.
Isfeld is the fourth-ranked triple-A team in B.C. They host the Island finals for the first time since 2007. Games start Thursday, Feb. 24. Isfeld takes on Esquimalt at 2 p.m., Timberline faces Victoria High at 4 p.m., Carihi plays Stellys at 6 p.m. and Barsby faces St. Michaels of Victoria at 8 p.m. Games will be live streamed. Results can be viewed at sportvictoria.com. Spectator seating will be 50 per cent capacity.