EDMONTON, Alberta (August 1, 2022) -- The 17U Men’s National Championships got underway on Monday and the British Columbia 17U Men kicked things off in a huge way, defeating Newfoundland and Labrador 119-54 behind a balanced-scoring effort that saw seven players reach double figures.

British Columbia shot 52.7 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc, compared to Newfoundland and Labrador who finished shooting 35 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from the three-point line. British Columbia also owned the glass, outrebounding Newfoundland and Labrador 48-30, including 15-10 on the offensive glass. British Columbia worked to force Newdfoundland and Labrador into 43 turnovers in the game, while turning the ball over just 16 times.

Jeremiah Frances led all scorers with 13 points in the win, while Torian Lee and Irish Coquia each added 12 points for British Columbia. Andrew Barnes led Newfoundland and Labrador with 11 points.

Also coming out of Day 1on a high note was the Quebec 17U Men. The Quebec squad defeated New Brunswick 103-45 behind a 17-point effort from Ludovic Tournier and 16 points from Sader Servilus. Rowan Gilpin added 10 rebounds in the win. Brady Herbert led New Brunswick in the loss with 14 points. Gilpin shot 4-for-7 from beyond the arc in the game.

The Manitoba 17U Men defeated Alberta 78-67 as Noah Kankam led all scorers with 21 points and eight rebounds, while Miguel Nitro added 17 points and four steals in the win. Nate Waldron led Alberta with a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double in the loss as Manitoba won despite shooting just 33 percent from the floor.

Rounding out Day 1 action was Ontario’s 83-58 victory against Saskatchewan. Ontario withstood an 18-point performance from Saskatchewan’s Dillyn Morin thanks to a strong defensive effort that held Saskatchewan to just 33 percent shooting. In comparison, Ontario shot 48 percent from the floor with Arden Begaj leading the way. Begaj had 14 points in the win, shooting 6-for-7 from the floor. Jordan Dickson added 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting while Justus Haseley added 12 points.

In 15U Men’s action, Prince Edward Island defeated Newfoundland and Labrador 69-55 behind a monster 17-point, 17-rebound double-double from Rayner Glenn. While Prince Edward Island led by double figures through the first half, Newfoundland and Labrador exploded in the third, outscoring Prince Edward Island 17-9 to trim the deficit to just two points heading into the fourth. A quick pair of three-pointers from Brock Brink and a pair of jumpers from Glenn put Prince Edward Island back in control and they didn’t look back.

Quebec defeated Nova Scotia 107-86 behind a 21-point performance from Noah Anthony Felix and a 20-point effort from Promis Nlandu. Quebec shot 56 percent from the floor and 40 percent from beyond the arc in the win as they overcame a game-high 24 points from Ben Dale and a 17-point effort from Samuel Olugu.

The 15U Ontario Men defeated Alberta 99-57 behind an 18-point effort from Jordan Charles and a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double from Quinten Ethier. Ontario shot 49 percent in the win.

Saskatchewan’s 15U Men’s team defeated New Brunswick 91-75 to round out opening day action. Thomas Olson exploded for a 26-point, 11-rebound double-double in the win, as he made 9-of-12 field goals, including his only three-point attempt, and shot 7-for-9 from the free throw line. Kian Tyson added 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots for Saskatchewan. New Brunswick was led by a 19-point effort from Jacob Christie in the loss.