Staff
It was a banner weekend for the Muskie senior boys’ basketball team.
The squad has been enjoying a solid season to date—and continued its torrid pace with gold at a tournament in Winnipeg over the weekend.
The Muskies faced their stiffest test in the final, earning a 73-63 win over the University of Winnipeg Collegiate high school team.
In a game that saw the lead change hands several times, the black-and-gold took control when it mattered most in the final minutes to seal the deal.
Head coach Paul Noonan said the inside play of power forwards Jeremy Strain and Travis Stromness (Strain had a season-high 30 points while Stromness added 18) keyed the victory and the team’s success overall at the tournament.
“We had a good finish,” Noonan said. “The guys played really well, especially inside the paint, which is something I’ve been waiting for for the better part of the season now.
“I’m hoping this will be a turning point for us,” he added.
Garnet Cornell had 12 points in the final while Jacob McIntosh netted seven.
The Muskies had opened the tournament by beating the host Springfield Collegiate Sabres 80-43 on Friday, then followed that with a 70-56 victory over West Kildonan Collegiate.
Fort High then advanced to the gold-medal game with an 89-41 romp over Faith Academy in the semi-finals.
“The competition in the tournament wasn’t as strong as I hoped it would be, but the final definitely made for a good game and the University of Winnipeg team was quite good,” Noonan remarked.
The seniors, along with the other three Muskie court teams, resumed NorWOSSA play yesterday with a game here against Kenora (the outcome wasn’t available as of press time), then will host the Dryden Eagles tomorrow (Jan. 15).
