Niverville Collegiate’s Varsity Boys basketball came in second place at last weekend’s annual John Kipe Classic. 

The final, which could have been dubbed the Battle of the Panthers, for the marquee matchup of the Niverville Panthers and Pinawa Panthers, ended with Pinawa coming out on top by a score of 63–57. 

“It was a good tournament in that there were many close games and teams had a chance to test the waters and prepare for the upcoming season,” says coach Richard Toews.  

Niverville got to the final by defeating the Gimli Lakers in their opening game, and then the Green Valley Pirates in their second, by a margin of 11 and 10 points respectively. 

“Niverville played well their first two games, overcoming inconsistent play,” Toews adds. “However, in the finals, turnovers and missed scoring opportunities were their downfall. Their own errors led to their demise. This, however, is very promising for the upcoming season as the team has great potential to improve in these areas and become a very good team.” 

Joel Dueck and Kress Schmidt of Niverville were named tournament all-stars. 

The Green Valley Pirates, from Grunthal, finished the tournament in third place, defeated the St. Maurice Patriots 68–56.