The Dauphin Clippers will enter as one of the tournament favourites when they hit the court later this month.
Hosting a qualifier over the weekend at the DRCSS, the Clippers varsity boys basketball team finished with a silver medal, punching their ticket to the big dance. Dauphin got off to an outstanding start as they downed the St. Maurice Patriots, 79-51. Nick Hudyma led the way with 20 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals. Gabe Beaudin had a monster game with 20 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks. Ronin Mouck added 14 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals.
The team's next opponent was the Elmwood Giants, the sixth-ranked AAA team in the province, and Dauphin had no trouble getting the job done. Hudyma added another 29 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and two steals as Dauphin throttled the Giants, 86-54. Jaxon Larocque had 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks while Morgan Fleck posted eight points with 17 rebounds, two steals, and a block. Ronin Mouck was a force on the glass with 19 rebounds while he also had 16 points, 11 assists, seven steals, and a block.
Dauphin then ran into the second-ranked Neelin Spartans in the final and despite a valiant effort, the Clippers fell short. Hudyma had 27 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and a steal in an 85-66 defeat against a powerhouse Neelin team. Mouck had 15 points, six assists, and three steals while Gabe Beaudin had 10 points and seven rebounds.
Dauphin will join the top seven AAA teams in the province at the provincial championships from March 20-22 at John Taylor Collegiate in Winnipeg. The Clippers will be ranked inside the top four, and a full schedule will be announced in the coming days.
