OKM Shines Bright in Win over Prince George

December 8, 2023

Prince George v. Okanagan Mission

A battle of the out-of-towners, we have the Prince George Polars facing up against the Okanagan Mission (OKM) Huskies.

Coming off a barn burner last night, OKM is looking for some redemption in their second game of the 2023 No Regrets Tournament. Although the championship may be off the table for these two teams, they will be coming out hungry for their first win of the tourney. 

On a sunny afternoon on Cypress Mountain, we have a rare circumstance where the outside weather conditions actually affect an indoor basketball game. We have a beam of sun shining through the door, that hits the Huskies in the eyes when at the free throw line. The significance of the lightbeam on the game is uncertain, only time will tell…

To get the game started, the Polars have come out pushing the pace of play looking to find easy opportunities in transition while at the same time tiring out the bigger OKM squad. Both teams have been strong defensively, resulting in an 8-4 lead for Prince George over 6 minutes into the game. With a push for transition buckets, the three point line has also opened up with #10 on the Polars, H. Cheema, taking advantage with a couple of made threes early. At the end of the first quarter, Prince George is up 14-8.

The Huskies are warming up, whether its from getting the first quarter under their belts or the warmth coming from that sunbeam, they have themselves within 2 points early in the second Q. The defensive battle continues, as both teams are making things challenging for their opponent to find open looks. The Huskies have stayed hot, putting together a really solid second quarter giving them a 7 point lead at the half, 30-23.

Halftime Fact #1: Multi-coloured spandex under short shorts are in, and they may never go out of style. 

The Polars must have received a motivating halftime speech from their coach, as they started the half with some strong takes to the rim pulling themselves back to within 4 points of the Huskies. Prince George has combined that with continuing their full-court pressure, looking for defensive traps at the opportune time. When it works it works well, when the Huskies escape it they are finding open looks offensively but will be looking to improve that shooting percentage to extend the lead. 

The OKM girls' squad is out supporting their fellow Huskies, and if you listen closely you can hear a cat's meow and a few dog barks while the Polars are shooting their free throws. It appears to work, as Prince George went 0-2 from the line while having to keep a straight face listening to the animal noises. A lot of excitement on and off the court, at the end of three the Huskies are up 9 after the buzzer-beater floater from #8 Issac Hamilton! 

Momentum for OKM has been carried forward into the 4th, with the Polars in a position where they need to flip this momentum like you flip your bacon on a Sunday to get themselves back into the match. Prince George didn’t travel all the way down to the North Shore to give up without a fight - the entire team is going all out trying to make this comeback a reality. #1 for the Huskies, J. Gall, is doing his part for OKM working his tail off defensively and putting his body on the line to get his team the W. 

A great battle for both of these teams, but in the end the Huskies height and bench depth secured them the win. It wasn’t a matter of if the sunbeam would play a role, it was a matter of how significant the role would be. Now, with certainty, we have the answer: it was a determining factor in giving the Huskies the warmup they needed to pull this game out of reach.

Player of the Game: #9, Julien Malfair with 17 points.

Final Score: OKM: 62- Prince George: 51.

No Regrets.