The 44th annual Senior Girls' Basketball tournament was hosted by Lake Lenore School Friday and Saturday.

Coach Curtis Strueby says the tournament was started by late coach Wade Weseen and was renamed the Wade Weseen Memorial Tournament after Weseen passed away from cancer a year and a half ago. Strueby took over the reigns 11 years ago.

A "pink" theme accompanies the tournament each year. It began years ago with a player who was diagnosed with cancer. Since then, each hosting team raises funds to purchase pink uniforms for the subsequent host team. Lake Lenore received a set of pink uniforms last year from Humboldt, and Lake Lenore Senior GIrls team will provide Middle Lake with a set for next year's tournament. Strueby says, that in addition to covering the costs of the uniforms, all the proceeds from the tournament's silent auction, 50/50 and food and ticket sales stay in the community and are donated to a local family affected by cancer.

Strueby says the crowd at Friday night's game packed the gym. 

"You couldn't get another person in the gym! it was so full and so loud and it was a great atmosphere for our girls to play in front of. It was exciting and pretty special."

Strueby says Waseen "would have loved to see the gym like that."

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The team from Kenaston became this year's winners in the final game against Middle Lake, Saturday night. The score was 39-36.

Birch Hills defeated Humboldt in the third-place game, and Meath Park won over Moose Jaw Cornerstone in the fifth-place game. Lake Lenore beat the team from Kinistino in the seventh-place game.

Strueby says the support for the tournament remains strong within the Lake Lenore community. He'd like to thank the teams for coming out and the staff, volunteers, and parents who make the tournament possible.

"It's an incredible amount of work for a very small volunteer base. But the support is still as strong as ever. The support is great."

 

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