The intensity of club basketball play can be an eye-opener for newcomers to the scene. Heck, even those who have experienced it before might benefit from a reminder or two of just how competitive the opposition can be when travelling the province.
Earning silver medals at the recent SBA (Scarborough Basketball Association) Blues Tournament in the GTA, the GSBA (Greater Sudbury Basketball Association) U12 Storm boys managed to cut the deficit of an early loss in half - but not quite enough to emerge with gold.
Participating in their first encounters of the 2025-2026 season, the Storm started quickly, downing the host SBA Blues 40-34 in game one as returnee Waylon Szwed proved to be a handful to contain for the Scarborough side.
The gold medal winning Barrie Royals provided a taste of just how tough they would be, handing the Sudbury lads their first loss in a 45-21 matchup as Leo Nguyen, Jaiv Patel and Gryphon Berti, all first year Storm talent, received a first hand look at top-end OBA basketball.
Strengthened with that knowledge and looking for another crack at the Royals, the northern reps advanced to the final thanks to a 55-46 triumph over Ottawa Next Level as strong defense and inside play was critical to the Storm victory.
"We dominated the boards, controlled the pace and generated numerous steals," noted GSBA head coach Adam Lafond. "Our post players displayed excellent patience and footwork, securing a chance to play Barrie again."
While the speed of the Barrie squad was difficult for the Storm to counter, their battle and commitment to improvement created a much closer game in the rematch as the Royals knocked off the locals, 48-38.
"Although Barrie maintained the lead throughout, the team's positive attitude made coaching this group a pleasure," said Lafond.
Rounding out the Sudbury roster are Eyas Hussam Eddin, Easton Troscinski, Clark Sauve, Xavier Johnson, Maks Lafond, Cooper Dubé and Kai Suprunov.
The team staff of Adam Lafond, assistant coach Vitaliy Suprunov and team manager Stephanie Sigurdson will now turn their attention to having the U12 Storm ready for their next tournament action come December 6th and 7th at the IEM Invitational.
