The Mount Baker Wild junior basketball team returned with a second place finish at a tournament in Penticton this past weekend, falling to the top-ranked team in the province in the finals.
The team cruised through competition from Merritt, South Kamloops Secondary and Kelowna Secondary School to make it to the final game, where they faced W.J. Mouat Secondary out of Abbotsford.
The Wild held a 12-point lead in the first quarter, but lost it and faced a two-point deficit by the half. The Hawks drained a trio of three-pointers in the third quarter and had a 16-point lead against the Wild.
However, the Baker girls fought back and came within six points of catching up, before the final buzzer sounded, with a 53-39 score in favour of W.J. Mouat.
Even in victory, the Hawks coach praised the Baker girls, saying they were the toughest team his squad has faced all year.
The Hawks still retain their number-one ranking in the province, but the Wild aren’t far behind, with a fifth-place provincial ranking.
Ray-Lyn Pighin was the top scorer against Merritt, South Kamloops Secondary and W.J. Mouat, while Bobbi-Jo Colburn took the honour against the Kelowna Secondary School.