Edward Milne Community School’s season came to an abrupt end Friday when Glenlyon Norfolk School shut the door on the Wolverines playoff hopes.
The Wolverines challenged GNS for the fourth and final spot in the Island finals after placing fifth at the double-A South Island basketball final.
In the challenge game, EMCS lost 79-72, but were within four points in the last three minutes of the game.
“It was a great game, probably one of the more exciting and better games I’ve been a part of coaching or playing,” said coach Alex Wright.
GNS had a lead of two to three points throughout the game, before going on a run just before the half and taking a six-point lead. It pretty much went back and forth the rest of the game until the final minutes of the game when GNS took a 10-point lead.
The Wolverines got a deep three pointer in the dying minutes of the contest, but untimely turnovers in the last 30 seconds lost their chances for a comeback.
“It was a great game, a phenomenal game,” Wright said.
Forward Alec McKenzie netted 29 for EMCS, while guard Nacho Antonutti added 26. GNS now heads to the Island finals, which begin tomorrow (Feb. 23) at Brentwood Bay.
As for the Wolverines, their season is over, but Wright is looking forward to the spring league – and the future.
‘We start all over again and start looking at our junior talent,” he said, adding that his club will lose seven players this year due to graduation.