The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Kelly Carrington Staff Writer The Hapnot Kopper Kings played their best basketball of the season, earning a banner in Zones as well as a place in the Provincials. The Kings are ranked seventh and will compete in the Provincial tournament March 15-17 in Thompson. The Kings defeated Thompson in the final, in Flin Flon, during the Zones March 2-3. 'It was very competitive,' said Kings co-coach Rob Abbott. Flin Flon played against a tough pool with Thompson and The Pas, but were able to remain undefeated in their three games. 'Everyone, and I mean everybody, improved their game,' said Abbott. Pointing out JJ Nash and Sam Kingsley as key players for the Kings, Abbott says their efforts were reflected in the weekend success. 'JJ played his best so far and Sam has been really consistent with his shooting all year,' he said. With a strong team, Abbott says the group is confident going into Thompson. The Provincial tournament will host eight boys teams and eight girls teams, with the Kings ranked seventh for the boys. The Kings will match up first against Nelson McIntyre, who are ranked second in the pool. With such a high level of competition, Abbott says the first game will be very important not only for the Kings, but for all of the other teams as well. Zones to Provincials The Kings are the lone boys team to earn their position in the Provincial tournament. As host team, Thompson earned an automatic berth. For the girls, Thompson defeated Flin Flon in the final in the Zones to earn their spot in Provincials. The Kweens played hard, but it wasn't enough for the win, said Abbott. 'If Thompson had have missed a couple of those three-point shots in the final, I think our girls could have upset them for sure,' he said. The Kopper Kweens are done for the season, but the Kings have high hopes heading into Provincials. 'Our expectations are really, really high,' said Abbott. 'We're playing the best basketball we've played all year.' The Kings have already faced a few of the teams this season, but have yet to see Westgate play. Ranked first in the boys pool, all eyes are on Westgate. Because the Kings sit in seventh place in the pool, they will only compete against Westgate if both teams make it to the finals. 'We've played a couple of these teams already,' said Abbot. 'We know where we stand. 'We know we can beat anyone.' Coaching Abbott continued on the court with the Kings this year. He shared the court with Don Dyke, who was only going to attend once a week to help out. Dyke was sold after one week with the Kings and signed on full time.
