Isfeld’s junior girls basketball team hosted the first round of playoffs — the North-North Zone Championship — on the weekend. The tourney consisted of the three Comox Valley teams, along with Port Alberni, Brooks from Powell River, and Carihi and Timberline from Campbell River.
Vanier started the tourney Thursday with a 55-10 win over Highland. Isfeld had a first-round bye as the were first in league play, and received an advance from the second-round because Brooks cound not attend their game due to a ferry cancellation.
Vanier lost a tough fought semi-final on the other side of the draw, 51-33, to league rival Port Alberni — which set up a final showdown between Isfeld and the Armada. (Isfeld had won its league game in Alberni 48-28.)
Vanier would have to cross over and win two games to secure the third and final spot to advance to the North Island Championships at Wellington next weekend. They did just that with a 50-17 win over Carihi and a 62-21 win over Brooks.
Highland finished their season on a thrilling note, giving up a late basket to Timberline in a 33-32 loss. The team improved in leaps and bounds over the course of the season.
Isfeld came out full of energy, especially on defence, in the final. Alberni competed hard early to keep the score close at 16-11 in Isfeld’s favour after one quarter. But Isfeld clamped down on defence in the second and 10 players hit the scoresheet, outscoring the Armada 25-2. In the end, all 12 players scored, shared floor time and supported each other in the second half as the Ice cruised to a 64-31 win and the North-North title.
Isfeld opens North Islands Thursday at 5 p.m. against the host Wellington, Nanaimo’s number four seed. Vanier plays Nanaimo District Secondary School, Nanaimo three seed, at 6:30 p.m.