The first day of the Surrey Fire Fighters Goodwill Basketball Classic is in the books, as senior girls hoops teams from across the city vie for local bragging rights.
On Tuesday, the tournament – now in its 16th year – began with games at Earl Marriott and Lord Tweedsmuir secondaries, as well as the Cloverdale Recreation Centre.
In the first games of the day – all played at the rec centre – North Surrey edged Surrey Christian 48-42, while Pacific Academy beat Kwantlen Park 36-32.
The Holy Cross Crusaders also got a first-round win, beating Clayton Heights 68-33, while the Panorama Ridge Thunder – the fifth-ranked AAA team in the province – defeated the Enver Creek Cougars 108-14.
At Earl Marriott, the host Mariners moved into the winners’ bracket with a 55-42 victory over the Frank Hurt Hornets, while the Semiahmoo Totems beat Princess Margaret, 73-23.
At Tweedsmuir, Sullivan Heights defeated Queen Elizabeth Secondary 84-12, while the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers – playing on their home court – also earned a first-round win, beating Guildford Park 83-26.
Like their rivals from Panorama Ridge, the Panthers are also among the province’s best teams, and are currently ranked No. 4 in B.C.
The Cloverdale squad won the 2015 Fire Fighters Classic, 83-73 over Panorama Ridge, and a rematch could very well be in the offing this time around.
The tournament continued on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons – results were not available by The Leader’s press deadline – with the final playoff rounds set for today (Friday) and Saturday.
First-round winners move into the Axe Division, while one-loss teams move into the Ladder Division.
On Saturday, the championship game in the consolation/Ladder division will be played at 3 p.m. at Lord Tweedsmuir, while the Axe Division final will follow, at 4:30 p.m.