Skip to content

Club team brings the heat in Spokane

Cranbrook basketball squad has a successful tournament with four wins in five games.
88306cranbrookdaily3GSpokane
Coach Greg Colburn addresses his team during a game at a tournament in Spokane.

Four out of five wins isn’t so bad for the Cranbrook 3G girls basketball club.

The club headed down south of the border over the weekend for the annual Gonzaga Shootout, a club basketball tournament in Spokane, where they racked up a 4-1 record, while being the lone representative from Canada in a field of 40 teams.

“I am happy with our play this weekend,” said Bobbi-Jo Colburn. “I am so proud of how hard our coaching staff has helped us to understand the importance of skill and development, competitive drive and goal setting in a competitive environment.”

The team beat up Shadle Park 47-25 but were given a bit more of a challenge with a 45-30 win over Mount Spokane. The Cranbrook squad had two more dominating wins over Coleville by a score of 42-22 and Naches Valley by 39-22.

The only loss for the 3G club was served by East Valley by a score of 42-33.

“This is a great showing for our program and team, and a great achievement for the girls,” said head coach Greg Colburn. “It will help us in next year’s bid to jump up a division to a larger classification.

“Our program is now recognized in Alberta, British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest as a competitive and successful program. As coaches, we have been able to compete at a very high level and every tournament we have attended is due to the dedication and hard work of our athletes.”

The 3G club enjoys high level competition, and makes frequent trips to the Lower Mainland and the U.S. where they get the opportunity to face tough opposition and build their skills.

“As athletes, we are thankful that our coaches have been able to provide us with the support and knowledge it takes to succeed at a competitive level,” said Rae-Lyn Pighin. “The systems and skills we have learned over the last three years have helped us compete with any team that we’ve faced.”

Next action for the club is another trip to Spokane for the annual camp classic tournament that the team has attended for the last three summers.



Trevor Crawley

About the Author: Trevor Crawley

Trevor Crawley has been a reporter with the Cranbrook Townsman and Black Press in various roles since 2011.
Read more