Hundreds of parents, fans and school officials attended the New York – Pennsylvania (NYPENN) Christian Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament Championship for high school girls and boys on Friday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Tioga County Girls and Boys Club in Owego. Hosting the event for the first time, Boys and Girls Club officials said that the tournament was a big success.
“I thought (the tournament) went outstanding, the competition level of both the girls and boys who participated was outstanding. It was so packed here and everyone was thrilled and courteous. It was a great event, and we were privileged to have them here,” said Ken Henson, athletic director for the Tioga County Boys and Girls Club.
The NYPENN Christian Athletic Conference is comprised of eight Christian Schools from Central New York and Northeast Pennsylvania, with the top four boys and girls teams participating in the championship tournament.
For the girls, participating teams included the Twin Tiers Christian Academy, Cortland Christian Academy, Central Baptist Christian Academy, and the North Rome Christian School. The Cortland Christian Academy girls won the championship game against the Twin Tiers Christian Academy girls in a nail-biter, 46 to 44.
The boy’s teams participating were the Twin Tiers Christian Academy, Cortland Christian Academy, Ross Corners Christian Academy, and North Rome Christian School. The North Rome Christian School boys defeated the Twin Tiers Christian Academy Boys for the championship in another close game, 59 to 57.
Henson said that things went so well that he would like to host more events like the tournament at the Boys and Girls Club.
“The event was fabulous and we had a great turnout, hundreds of people each day. A lot of parents and families and friends and fans of the teams were here and everyone seemed to enjoy it, we were crowded all weekend,” said Dennis Curatolo, interim executive director for the Tioga County Boys and Girls Club.
Curatolo said he would love to have the tournament back next year.
“We are open for these types of events and would like to host more of them. We would be happy to have NYPENN back next year,” Curatolo added.
Along with earning money for the Boys and Girls Club through rental fees, Curatolo said the event was important for the Boys and Girls Club because it allowed the non-profit to showcase itself to people who may not have been there before.
“It’s great because it opens up the facility for more kids to get in here, and brings us a lot more exposure as well,” Curatolo said.
During the games, which took place one at a time over two days, Curatolo said that program rooms were open and available to fans who needed a break or for kids who needed to let out some energy.
“The basketball was great with some really tight games, and along with the games we made sure there was plenty to do,” Curatolo said.
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