After a commanding 61 - 29 win against Manitoba, Team BC fell to Prince Edward Island 60-54 in the first day of wheelchair basketball competition at the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
BC leapt out to a commanding lead against the young Manitoba squad and never looked back. Tanner Scott was the top scorer with 18 points, and multiple other players contributed clutch shots. The true test, however, came with when BC took on Prince Edward Island, which features senior national team member Liam Hickey and U23 national team members Jeremy and Joel Watts.
BC started off ahead before falling by as much as 12. Watts and Hickey forced several turnovers and sliced up the BC defense with several inside shots. A three-pointer by Avril Harris in the final seconds of the third quarter helped to bring the game to within three and rally the team, and BC took the lead halfway through the fourth. Unfortunately, PEI proved virtually unstoppable at the three-point line and BC suffered a few turnovers and missed shots in the game's final seconds. Ben Hagkull was BC's top scorer with 12 points.
After the game, Head Coach Marni Abbott-Peter praised her team's performance.
"I couldn't be more proud of this team," she said. "We played our best game of the tournament, but unfortunately PEI did as well. We fought hard, we battled right to the last second, and we showed a lot of heart."
BC plays Saskatchewan tomorrow at 7 pm at Duchess Park Secondary in Prince George.
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact:
Arley McNeney
Communications & Marketing Manager
BC Wheelchair Basketball Society
Cell: 778-788-9091
Email: arley@bcwheelchairsports.com
