A veteran Swift Current Comp. Colts senior boys basketball team got their season off to a solid start with three wins and a tournament title in Lake Lenore over the weekend.
The Colts opened the tournament with a 61-37 win over a young Melfort Comets squad that was without a single grade 12 player. The Colts led 12-8 after one quarter, but outscored the Comets 19-2 in the second quarter for a 31-10 lead at halftime to put the game out of reach.
The Colts were 27 for 49 from the field and seven for 14 from the free throw line in a strong shooting performance to open the season.
Riley Knox and Kale Scherger led the offense with 10 points each, Ty Vandersteen pulled down nine rebounds, Sidney Heuer and Connor Chau both chipped in three assists, and Taylor Trout added a pair of steals.
In their second game, the Colts limited the host Lake Lenore Lancers to 29 points in a 55-29 win.
The Colts made seven three-pointers in the win, led by Jordan Hildebrand who scored 15 points on five shots from behind the arc.
Vandersteen led the rebounding effort with nine boards, Trout added four more steals, and Juan Cabrales had three assists.
The Colts shot just 22 of 62 from the field and finished four of 11 from the charity stripe in the win.
In their final game, the Colts endured a brutal first-half shooting performance to defeat a fellow 4A team, the North Battleford John Paul II Crusaders, 50-29.
The Colts trailed 11-4 after the first quarter and 19-18 at the half, but outscored the Crusaders 32-10 in the second half with a strong defensive effort.
The Colts finished 24 for 63 from the field and just one for five from the free throw line in the win.
Sidney Heuer led the Colts with 10 points and six rebounds. Chau also pulled down six rebounds, while Dallin Martin added three assists and Chad Schultz collected three steals.
Grade 12 post Riley Knox led the Colts with 24 points over the weekend and .44 points per minute as nine of the Colts 10 players scored 12 or more points during the three wins.
Vandersteen, a grade 12 forward, led the Colts with 23 rebounds, seven assists, and 58.16 minutes played. The Colts were missing grade 10 guard Jaylen Mayall and 6’7’’ grade 11 post Justin Kehler for their season opening tournament.
“Overall our defense was excellent (31.7 points against per game) and we rebounded well as a team. I was missing two players on holidays so I rolled lines for all three games ensuring all players got lots of court time,” noted head coach Adam Jackson, who’s veteran team is comprised of nine grade 12’s, two grade 11’s, and one grade 10.
The Colts have also been bolstered by the addition of Trout, a grade 12 wing, who played last season in Hannah, Alberta. Trout led the Colts with eight steals, six deflections, and drew three charges in his Colts debut.
The Colts will resume their season in 2011 when they head to a tournament hosted by Medicine Hat High School from January 7-8.
