Play opens Thursday, Feb. 14 in the annual Dick Hotch Memorial Basketball Tournament at the Haines School.
The adult basketball tournament has been a tradition in the Chilkat Valley for more than 30 years. Games run through Sunday, Feb. 17, at Karl Ward Gymnasium.
Last year’s championship game was a thriller, when a Whitehorse team topped a Juneau squad, 73-70, to place first in the eight-team field. The competition also featured teams from Haines, Klukwan and Skagway.
Updates for the 2013 edition are being posted at the “Dick Hotch Memorial Basketball Tournament” Facebook page.
According to a Wednesday posting, this year’s event will have six teams, and each will open with a round-robin game.
The Haines Merchants and Klukwan Chilkats are set to face off in the first game around 7 p.m. Thursday, following the opening ceremony.
Games are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and noon Friday, with Whitehorse battling a hometown Harbor team in the opener.
Other games are slated for the afternoon, with a break in the evening for the Haines High School boys’ games against Metlakatla on Friday and Saturday. One tournament game will follow the high school competition both nights.