The Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) Elecs senior boys basketball team captured a bronze medal at the eighth annual Bowlt Classic in Saskatoon on the weekend.
The Elecs opened the tournament with a come-from-behind 54-45 win over the co-host Tommy Douglas Collegiate Tigers on Thursday. Veterans Donny Mortenson and Wyatt Haux helped bring the team back from a 28-21 deficit at the half with strong two-way play in the third and fourth quarters. For their efforts, Mortenson received the Player of the Game award while Haux captured the Top Scorer award with 22 points.
Estevan moved over to Aden Bowman Collegiate to face the homeside Bears on Friday morning. The Bears played a disciplined game to knock off the Elecs 86-58 forcing the team into a win-or-go-home contest on Friday evening at Aden Bowman Collegiate against the Bedford Road Collegiate Redhawks.
With Mortenson and Haux fouling out early in the fourth quarter, Elecs guard John Sasi put the team on his back scoring 12 points in the final three minutes to help ECS to a 70-63 win over the Redhawks. Sasi's 22-point effort earned him both the Player of the Game award and the Top Scorer honour.
The win secured the Elecs a berth in the bronze medal game at Bethlehem Catholic High School against the Mount Royal Collegiate Mustangs on Saturday. A strong game from beyond the arc by Luigi Ambita, including three straights treys at one point in the game, led ECS to a dominant 82-51 win for the Bowlt Classic bronze medal.
Shane Ross, coach of the Elecs, noted every player on their bench had an opportunity to get in some on-court action at the tournament allowing the team to get their lineup and situational rotations down. He said the team was led by Mortenson, Haux and Sasi, but their rookie bigs in Jack McGeough, Carter Davenport and Justin Van Achte all contributed important minutes and held their own against the tough competition.
The Elecs will compete at the Weyburn Comprehensive School Eagles Basketball Tournament this weekend with Ross noting they have high expectations of playing in the final on Saturday night.
