A double Storm front rolled in to Athletic Hall on Friday morning to determine which girls team would make it into the final at the 2012 BC Junior All Native Basketball Championship.
When the clouds cleared, it was Gingolx Storm who prevailed 55-44 over an injury-riddled Island Storm of Nanaimo.
Game Photos at: http://www.hashilthsa.com/gallery/two-storms-battle-it-out-all-native-semi-final
The North Coast team, representing the Nisga’a Nation, dominated over the first half, taking a 31-16 lead into the second. Island Storm star Gabby Jeffrey spent much of the first half on the bench, nursing an injured neck that visibly hampered her mobility in the back court.
Gingolx coach Melvin Barton substituted freely and his girls responded, with Kali Pelletier hitting her stride in the second quarter, on her way to a 12-point game to lead her side.
Island Storm staged a rally in the third quarter, sparked by Shania Sabbas, who contributed a bucket, three straight at the free-throw line and a nice three-pointer as the Snuneymuxw girls outscored the visitors 18-11, narrowing the gap to 42-34 and sparking hopes of a comeback victory.
But with Jeffrey already hobbled, Island Storm starter Amber John suffered what was believed to be a hyperextended knee and Brianna Seward, who had been steady on the free-throw line, took a shoulder to the head in traffic and came off with a possible concussion.
The injuries dampened the Island Storm attack and the Gingolx girls used patience and a persistent transition game to outscore the Nanaimo side 13-11 for the final score.
Gingolx spread out the scoring across the roster. Kali-Pelletier’s 12 points led the club, while Cecile Stewart added 10. Coach Barton said after a
week of struggling, his girls were finally beginning to hit on all cylinders.
“We haven’t really had a good game yet, so we hope to get that in the final,” Barton said. “We’ve coached these girls for seven years, and it’s finally clicked that they’re a team.
“My girls have been working for a long time. It has been six years since we’ve been able to send a team to the [Junior] All Natives.”
Island Storm coach Paul Wyse-Seward said it was disappointing to see the fourth-quarter thwarted by injuries to two key players.
“But it’s been a great tournament and we battled right to the end,” he said. “In the end the Creator decided which Storm would win.”
