LANGLEY — Best ever?
Admittedly, it’s a superlative that gets tossed around a little too lightly these days.
Yet as it pertains to the overall quality, depth and competitiveness of what will be the 2023 senior girls Tsumura Basketball Invitational, it’s one that seems more likely than not to hit its mark.
For the first time ever, the latest edition of the annual classic, set to run Dec. 13-16 at the Langley Events Centre, will feature two distinctly separate 16-team pools, each carefully curated to produce an elevated level of competitive parity.
Today, we unveil each of the 16-team groupings set to compete for titles at the annual home of March Madness, otherwise known as the B.C. senior girls championships.
We’ve still got plenty of time to preview TBI 2023 in greater depth, yet in the early days of summer we’re confident in saying that it will be four days of the kind of competition that make it a worthy early prelude to the 2024 provincials.
Here are the two tournament pools, each presented in alphabetical order:
GIRLS
ELITE 16
Argyle Pipers (North Vancouver)
Brookswood Bobcats (Langley)
Burnaby Central Wildcats
Dr. Charles Best Blue Devils (Coquitlam)
G.W. Graham Grizzlies (Chilliwack)
Kelowna Owls
Langley Christian Lightning
Mulgrave Titans (West Vancouver)
Okanagan Mission Huskies (Kelowna)
Reynolds Roadrunners (Victoria)
Riverside Rapids (Port Coquitlam)
Seaquam Seahawks (North Delta)
Saint Michaels University School Blue Jags (Victoria)
South Delta Sun Devils
South Kamloops Titans
Yale Lions (Abbotsford)
SWEET 16
Abbotsford Christian Knights
Abbotsford Traditional Titans
Britannia Bruins (Vancouver)
Clayton Heights Riders (Surrey)
Fleetwood Park Dragons (Surrey)
Heritage Woods Kodiaks (Port Moody)
Holy Cross Crusaders (Surrey)
Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers (Surrey)
Maple Ridge Ramblers
MEI Eagles (Abbotsford)
Notre Dame Jugglers (Vancouver)
Oak Bay Breakers (Victoria)
R.A. McMath Wildcats (Richmond)
St. Thomas More Knights (Burnaby)
Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs (Vancouver)
Walnut Grove Gators (Langley)
COMING UP NEXT: Team reveals for each of the two 16-team fields taking part in the 2023 boys TBI.
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