Next Level U11 Capture Bronze at Chris Paulin Tournament

Ottawa Next Level U11 Captures Bronze at Chris Paulin Tournament. A slow start to the tournament for the young Ottawa Next Level U11 team prevented them from reaching the Gold Medal Game but, they showed true heart in their last 3 when they finally found their game going away easy by beating Nepean 2 to capture their first ever medal together.

Friday night jitters and nerves were prevalent for the U11 squad as they took on the Gloucester Wolverines Selects (eventual Gold Medal Champs) as ONL clearly were out of sync. Uncharacteristically they were hampered by too many unforced errors that resulted in turnovers and ultimately led to their 40-33 loss. Alex Kelk took home the game’s MVP honors with his tenacious effort on both sides of the ball all night.
 
Saturday morning they fought hard against the Kingston Impact white but were plagued with the same nervous play. Their sloppy play & a lack of confidence stalled their chance at a victory and a hot shift by Kingston pulled them away and sunk the U11 squad to a 0-2 start at their own tournament with their 8 point loss 37-29.  Jaxen Delorme was named the game’s MVP for his great assists, steals and finishes.

Familiarity was just what Next Level needed in their game 3 match up as they matched up against Nepean 2. The boys finally settled in & started moving the ball effectively combined with their swarming defence which led to turnovers & fast break finishes as they hit their stride and cruised to a 21 point victory winning 51-30. Tyler Phillips walked away with this game’s MVP for his never quit attitude as he contributed on both sides of the ball.

Sunday morning picked up right where they left off Saturday afternoon as the Shooting Stars 2 were no match for this now game ready squad. With the jitters and unforced errors clearly behind them, Ottawa Next Level rolled to a 32 point victory and got contributions from all 12 boys with their 53-21 win. Cid Ruhamyamdekwe was the game’s MVP with his leadership & ball distribution all game.

With their win against the Shooting Stars it set up a rematch against Nepean 2 in the Bronze Medal Game. Ottawa Next Level came out flat in their first shift but pressed hard for the next 3 to take a 15 point lead into the locker room at the half. They never let up in the second half and cruised to their first ever medal together as a team winning 54-36. Matthew Valenta cashed in on the triangle play & won MVP honors with his 12 point performance.

A Bronze Medal out of the gates for a U11 squad in a U12 division is a good start.With 11 rookies in the lineup, the coaching staff hopes that the boys learned from this experience & they will not leave anything on the table next time around in Toronto at the Motion Basketball Tournament on Jan 17-19 weekend when they take on fellow U11 teams.
 
This team’s character is starting to show itself, which is a hard working defensive squad that feeds off turnovers by converting on fast breaks. Coach Saikaley was most impressed with how ALL 12 boys contributed and stepped up this weekend. “Team depth is the most important thing at the U11 level and without it; we will have a tough year” It was great to see all 12 boys step up at one time or another this weekend to capture their first ever medal together. Great work U11 Boys!!