The Merritt Panthers finished fourth out of eight in a tournament that encompassed some of the best teams in the South Okanagan over the weekend.

Merritt played three games in the tournament, which was not part of regular league play.

“It was a fun event that created a lot of excitement for the players and the school in general”, says Merritt Panthers coach Brent Bowden.

“We had a ton of volunteers from the student body and it really was a team effort all around in making this tournament such a success.”

The tournament was not a part of regular league play but allowed the team to play against some tough competition.

“We played three games in two days and this was such a great opportunity to learn how to manage the stress and excitement that goes along with playing for a home crowd,” said Bowden.

“It also gives us a chance to watch how really good teams play and what makes them effective.”

“I felt that we played really well considering the competition,” said Braydon Chenier, one of the top scorers for the Panthers over the weekend.”

Merritt has stepped up to the tier one league this year, which has proven a challenge for the junior boys and finds them towards the bottom of the current standings.

“Our goal is not to win but to learn,” states Bowden.

“We have a long term plan with this junior team and they have been progressing very nicely.”

The Panthers did very well Friday night against the South Kamloops Titans, taking the game 55-40.

Playing again Saturday morning the Panthers never found their momentum against the Valley View Vikes, losing that game 61-23 as well as losing their afternoon game to the Okanagan-Mission Hawks 58-38.