‘Super excited’: Luther Invitational Tournament begins in Regina

One of the longest-running high school basketball tournaments in the country is back on the court for its 71st year.

The Luther Invitational Tournament brings together eight female teams and eight male teams from across Canada between Thursday and Saturday.

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The tournament will tip off at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Semple Gym at Luther College High School. Other games will be hosted at the Belsher Centre at the high school. The full tournament schedule can be found on the school’s website.

Regina teams competing in the tournament include Luther College High School, Miller Comprehensive High School, Michael A. Riffel Catholic High School, Martin Collegiate, and Dr. Martin Leboldus High School.

Saskatoon’s Walter Murray Collegiate and Centennial Collegiate will also compete. Teams from Calgary, Winnipeg, Lethbridge, and Cardston, Alta. will also travel into the province for the tournament.

The girls championship final game will be at 6 p.m. on Saturday, with the boys championship game to follow at 8 p.m.

Last year, both the girls and boys teams from Raymond, Alta., won the tournament in its 70th year.

Andie Williams, a Grade 12 student who helped organize the tournament, said she’s helped out at the event since her Grade 9 year, doing everything from working at the concession to directing media.

Andie Williams says just about every student at Luther College High School is helping with the tournament in some way. (Gillian Massie/ 980 CJME)

Luther College High School has about 400 students, and Williams said almost all of them participate in putting the tournament together in some way.

“You learn responsibility, you learn commitment, you learn dedication, and it’s just a bunch of hard work that gives you almost a sense of accomplishment at the end of all,” she said.

Every tournament Williams has attended has been memorable.

“It is absolutely insane,” she said. “It is an atmosphere unlike any other. It is something that you only get to experience at LIT. It is so energetic. It is so pumped up. It is something you definitely don’t want to miss.”

Amelie Pinno, a Grade 11 player on the Luther girls team, said there’s nothing better than playing on her home court.

“I’m super excited,” she said. “I love the hype. I love the atmosphere. I love the level of competition, and just like seeing new faces from out of town. It’s really exciting.”

This will be Grade 11 student Mateja Locke’s first time playing in the tournament with the Luther girls team.

“I’d say I’m more nervous – especially for the showcase game – but I hope once the tournament gets going, (I’ll) kind of realize it’s just basketball,” she said.

“The Luther community will come to support everyone on the team.”