Grizzlies tip of basketball season Friday at Okana-Qen Tournament

Photo: Contributed

The L.V. Rogers Grizzlies tip off the high school hoop season Friday in Oliver at the 63rd annual Okana-Qen senior boys basketball tournament.

First up for the hostile Grizzlies is an afternoon tilt against Westsyde of Kamloops.

Other teams in the tournament are host team South Okanagan Hornets, Osoyoos Rattlers, Pen-Hi Lakers, Salmo Falcons, J. Lloyd Crowe Hawks of Trail and Mount Baker of Cranbrook.

This is the first taste of competition for the Grizzlies, which are expected to improve on last season as a number of high-level graduates moved up from last year's junior Bombers program.

Following the trip to the South Okanagan, the Grizzlies travel to Grand Forks Tuesday to face the Wolves in a West Kootenay High School contest.

The Grand Forks trip is a triple header, with the junior boys and senior girls teams facing the Boundary teams.

First action of the season at home is the junior Grizzlies Invitational from Dec. 13-14 at the Den.

Following the Christmas break, LVR hosts the senior girls/boys Kootenay Classic from Jan. 10-11.