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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Fort Simpson basketball teams spanned the medal spectrum after their hometown tournament to kick off the month.

Devan Horassi, centre, of the senior Wolfpack tries to shoot a basket while Braydon McLeod, left, Chakil Dominguez and Alexander Spraklin of the Fort Nelson Huskies try to block him during the bronze medal game in the senior boys division at the Wolfpack Invitational. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Fifteen teams from five communities participated in the Wolfpack Invitational, making it the largest tournament in recent years. Thirty games were packed into two days, Feb. 1 and 2.

Fort Simpson fielded five teams including three from Thomas Simpson School and two open men's teams.

Fort Simpson Open Men 1 advanced to the senior mens finals and secured first place.

The Fort Simpson team played a close game against the Hay River Men with the score at 36-32 at the half time buzzer. Fort Simpson increased their lead to 56-48 by the third quarter buzzer and wrapped the game up at 76-65.

Thomas Roche and Leif Amundson organized the team for the tournament for fun.

"We did pretty well actually," said Roche, who was named the most valuable player in the division.

Roche said the team came together better than he thought it would. All but two of the players were Wolfpack alumni.

"We just get along with each other and that sort of helps," he said.

Team went undefeated

The team went undefeated in their round-robin games and beat the Fort Nelson Huskies to reach the final. One of the teams the Fort Simpson men defeated was the Wolfpack senior boys.

The Wolfpack went on to defeat the Fort Nelson Huskies in the bronze medal game 63-45. The tournament was a learning experience for the Wolfpack, said Kristen Morrison, one of the team's coaches.

The player's energy level wasn't always where it needed to be, she said. They should have fought for every possession. The athletes also needed to use their offence time properly so they could wear out the other team's defence.

"They need to play smarter basketball," said Morrison.

"They need to learn to play under pressure consistently and we believe they can do that and will do that at the Cager."

The senior Wolfpack along with the junior and girls Wolfpack teams will all be participating in the Cager in Yellowknife beginning on Feb. 22. The Wolfpack junior boys took second place in their division at the invitational while the girls took third.

The junior boys are a very promising team, said Morrison.

"They are all interested in improving," she said.

Although the team lost 68-34 to the Fort Nelson Huskies in the final, they were still asking for tips to help them improve for their next tournament, said Morrison. The team showed improvement throughout the tournament, winning their first two games, although they lost to Fort Nelson twice, including in the final.

The girls team also worked to improve their game throughout the tournament, said Morrison. They tried to get to the right spots and asked questions along the way. They now know what they need to work on before the Cager, she said.

"It was good to see their intensity," said Morrison.

The girls won their bronze medal game in a close match against Hay River that ended 26-22.

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