Cariboo-North East Takes Girls’ 3X3 Bronze in OT Thriller
by Karl Yu, BC Games News Service
Author: BC Summer Games1/Sunday, July 20, 2014/Categories: 2014 BC Summer Games, Basketball
Cariboo-North East’s (Zone 8) 3X3 girls basketball team claimed bronze at the BC Summer Games, defeating Vancouver Squamish B (Zone 5) 16-15 in an overtime thriller.
With a 9-6 lead coming out of halftime, Cariboo-North-East would battle with Vancouver Squamish and would finish regulation dead-locked at 14-14 and with the rules dictating that the first team to score two points wins, the pressure was on. Following a basket (regular baskets count for one point) by Vancouver Squamish, Brynn Dergousoff, of Cariboo North East, sank a pair of free throws, giving the Zone 8 team the win and third place.
Cariboo North East head coach Dale Dergousoff, Brynn’s father, was pleased with his team’s performance but there were some frantic moments in the extra frame, as his team could not afford to give up a foul.
“The strange thing was there was a bonus situation, so we couldn’t foul because [Vancouver Squamish] would get two shots and plus the first to two (wins),” Dergousoff said. “It’s just one of those where it just comes down to some of it is just luck.”
Brynn Dergousoff was excited about winning bronze but like her father, was a little nervous in the overtime session.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking because you have all the noise around and everything and half the crowd was cheering for the other team and the other ones were not so, it’s [really] nerve-wracking but you can’t over-thinking it too because [the free throws] don’t go in. My first ones I didn’t make because I was over-thinking but I calmed down on the next ones and then made them,” Brynn said.
Cariboo North East’s Litsanna Thanos was also nervous in overtime but that quickly changed as the second free throw swished.
“I was really nervous and as soon as I saw it go off the rim and onto the backboard, I knew so I ran and picked up Brynn and I swung her around,” Thanos exclaimed.
Despite the loss, Tracy Clarke, coach of Vancouver Squamish, was proud of her team’s performance.
“It was a great game. I thought our girls played their hearts out and I thought they did everything they could and they played their game,” explained Clarke.