The shooting Stars lit up Kamloops last weekend.
Both the Archbishop Carney Stars' boys and girls squads exceeded expectations at the B.C. AA senior high school basketball championships, both finishing in sixth spot in their gender pools.
Making their first ever appearance at the hoop provincials, the ABC boys overcame a 13-point deficit and led by two with three minutes remaining, only to fall 71-61 in the end to North Vancouver's Windsor Dukes in first-round action last Wednesday.
After that, the Stars were determined to win the consolation bracket -- which they did in fine fashion by rattling off three straight convincing victories.
First the Stars handled Prince Rupert's Charles Hays Hurricanes 77-56, then they dominated the Princess Margaret Mustangs of Penticton 89-64 thanks to Cole Spooner's top scoring and rebounding performance.
Carney then clutched up for another victory in their final game in the battle for sixth spot, ousting Victoria's Lambrick Park Lions 63-55 Saturday.
"It was a great honour to coach such a talented and determined group of athletes," raved Stars head coach Steve McGinley, whose squad also captured the event's Team Spirit award.
Game MVPs for the Stars included Christian Legazpi, William Baumann and Patrick Simon, who was later chosen to the tournament's second all-star squad.
Meanwhile, the lady Stars entered the tournament seeded No. 7 and came out No. 6 after they dropped a tough two-point decision to North Van's Seycove Seyhawks in their finale.
Carney's Colleen O'Melinn was chosen to the first all-star unit, while teammate Kayla McFadden received an honourable mention.
