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Isfeld Ice wins Santa Slam

Thaskani Mtawali named MVP
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Thaskani Mtawali of the Isfeld Ice senior boys basketball team was named MVP at the Santa Slam tournament at Mt. Douglas Secondary in Victoria. File photo by Scott Stanfield

The Isfeld Ice senior boys basketball team continued its undefeated season by winning the Santa Slam tournament at Mt. Douglas Secondary in Victoria.

The boys opened with a 64-32 win over Victoria’s Royal Bay Thursday. Temwa Mtawali, Aiden McDonald and Thaskani Mtawali led the Ice scoring with 17, 15 and 11 points respectively.

Isfeld then beat the host side in a semi-final Friday. The Ice outscored the Rams 15-4 in the third quarter, and took their six-point half time lead and extended it to 15. The Rams only managed eight points in the fourth quarter as the Ice cruised to a 70-45 win.

In Saturday’s championship final, Isfeld won 79-45 over Carihi, who blew out quad-A Nanaimo District Secondary in the other semi. The Ice came within a basket of shutting out Carihi in the second quarter, and turned a one-point deficit into an 11-point lead at the half. Up 15 at the end of the third, the Ice went on a 21-0 run in the fourth quarter to seal the deal. Playing extended minutes, Jacob Volkers chipped in nine points while Temwa had 25, Thaskani 19 and McDonald 13.

Temwa was voted the tournament’s best defensive player and his brother, Thaskani, was the most valuable player.

Fellow triple-A Courtenay school Vanier also competed at the annual tournament. In their opener, the Towhees lost 76-69 to Nanaimo Secondary, but beat Wellington Secondary of Nanaimo 74-46 the following day.

Vanier then prevailed 66-45 over Reynolds, a triple-A team from Victoria, in Saturday’s fifth-place game.

Peter Greaves of the Towhees was named a tournament all-star.

Last week, Isfeld opened league game against Vanier. Down 10 at the end of the first quarter, the Ice fought back to go up 41-36 at the half. The Towhees would not go away in the second half and kept the game close. Every time Isfeld would widen the lead to 10, Vanier would get within six to eight points. The smaller Ice hung tough to win 82-75, despite serious foul trouble that saw Thaskani, McDonald and Dawson Fox foul out of the game.

Vanier next plays Ballenas while Isfeld closes out the first half of the season against Wellington, who are unbeaten in league play. Both are home games, Tuesday at 7 p.m.