In 21 years of coaching, Ray Bourque had never been involved in a game that went to triple overtime.
That changed on Saturday night.
In the championship final of the College Heights Cougar Classic junior girls basketball tournament, Bourque's PGSS Polars clashed with the Duchess Park Condors and eventually lost 45-44 in a third extra-time session.
The teams were tied 33-33 at the end of regulation, 38-38 after the first overtime and 42-42 after the second overtime.
"It was very exciting," said Bourque, who added it wasn't too painful to come up short in the marathon contest. "Someone's got to lose. We're still focused on the zone tournament so it was a really good learning experience for the kids, that's for sure."
The zone championship -- a qualifier for provincials -- is Feb. 24-26 at PGSS.
On Saturday, the Polars led for most of the first four quarters but the Condors, with some stellar outside shooting, caught up and actually pulled ahead as time was ticking down. Then, Alycia Goudy of the Polars hit a shot late in regulation time to force the first overtime.
At the end of the first OT, Carly Shaw-MacLaren of the Condors drained a three-point buzzer beater and the second overtime was required.
"None of my shots were going in the whole tournament and it was just luck, pretty much," said Shaw-MacLaren, a Grade 9 guard.
In the second OT, Goudy scored the tying basket for the Polars with five seconds remaining.
The winning shot in the third overtime was put up by Shaw-MacLaren, from the foul line. With 20 seconds showing on the clock, she missed her first attempt from the stripe but was good on her second.
"It was really crazy -- I was really scared after I missed the first one," said Shaw-MacLaren, who finished with 14 points and was later chosen as the tournament's most valuable player.
Goudy led the Polars with 17 points.
In the bronze-medal game, the host College Heights Cougars defeated the Cedars Christian Eagles 40-24.
The Polars and Condors will both be in Coquitlam for tournaments this weekend. PGSS is entered in an event at Terry Fox secondary and Duchess is registered for a gathering at Dr. Charles Best secondary.
