INUVIK
It was a big weekend for the East Three School Wolves two junior basketball teams at the Jr. Cager tournament in Yellowknife, with both girls and boys teams bringing home banners for their efforts.

Jazelle Pokiak of East Three's girls basketball team tries to drive past Yellowknife's Regan Bulger during Junior Cager basketball action on Feb. 14. The Inuvik girls finished second, ending a four-year losing streak at the tournament. The boys team brought home the title for the second straight year in a thrilling 38-36 overtime win against Weledeh of Yellowknife. - James McCarthy/NNSL photo

The boys team was able to win the championship for the second-straight year with a thrilling 38-36 overtime win against Weledeh School of Yellowknife. The Wolves lost to Weledeh in the round-robin and ended up having to play them again for the chance at a second title in a row.

The boys didn't disappoint, said coach Shane Brewster. The strong defence, he said, was key to their weekend success and the second championship banner in as many years.

"The experience of the players being there last year, they knew what to expect," he said. "They're familiar with offences and defences we run and their adept to playing the game. It's a strange thing to say about such young kids, but they really know the game."

The team had five returning players from the previous year's team that brought home the title, and Brewster said the dedication of the new players and the leadership and experience of the five veterans played a major part in their success.

"We've got a good group of kids," he said. "The sportsmanship and team play has been outstanding."

The girls team came home with a second place finish after a long four years of losing at the Yellowknife tournament. Since a second-place finish five years ago, girls coach Nadine Wagner said the team hadn't been able to put up a single win. But things were different this time, she said. The girls came out with an intensity that helped propel them into the finals after beating a Weledeh school team 34-16 with what she described as suffocating defence.

"I've coached them for six years, and they were really proud of the accomplishment," she said. "We've played a lot of good teams and they felt they had a chance."

Despite the loss to William McDonald Middle School in the final, Wagner said the team played hard right until the final buzzer. She said the defence was a big part of their ability to make it to the final.

"We played strong and they had a good attitude," she said. "They just ran hard. They were determined to score and when they realized they had a chance to win it, they really wanted it."

For Grade 6 student Kyra McDonald it was an experience she'll never forget. She said the team played well together on both ends of the court, and worked to keep the ball moving on offence. She said she kept telling herself to stay focused during the game to avoid mistakes.

"We had to run hard," she said. "The teams we played were really quick, so it was tough at times."