The Filipino Canadian Basketball League of Yukon (FCBLY) began its final championship series Sunday at the Canada Games Centre.

The League is finalizing its 13th season which was put on hiatus when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down regularly-scheduled programming.

Three championships have been vied for and won already. Domino’s Pizza defeated Elias Dental in three games in Under 35 play; Whitehorse Subaru swept North60 Petro in Over 35 action, and; Air North soared past MGM in three to win the Under 15 crown.

On Sunday, it was the Women’s Division that was centre stage. The final best-of-three series is Earls Restaurant versus Miranda. The two teams met the weekend prior in the final regular-season game with Earls taking the contest 66-44.

It was a much closer game as both teams were at full strength, however, the result was the same. Earls took the first meeting 49-46.

The first quarter lived up to the billing of a championship game. The intensity was electric and the appropriately-distanced fans just added to the atmosphere.

Earls got off to the hotter start. On the defensive end, they stymied the Miranda attack. Earls got their hands in the passing lanes and when Miranda drove the basket they ripped the ball away.

When Miranda got a shot off, Earls was relentless on the glass. The defensive effort led to early points. Earls used quick outlet passes to their speedy guards who got easy layups.

In half-court sets, Earls used crisp ball movement to get the defence chasing.

Then they hit the cutters below the hoop to score in the paint.

As the quarter came closer to its end, Miranda got into a groove of their own. They began to protect the ball better and were able to get into the heart of the Earls defence and chip away at the advantage.

That momentum carried into the second quarter.

The intensity level ramped up even more in the second stanza. Miranda made an early run by using a stifling defence and picking off the transition passes of Earls. This lead to fast-break opportunities which they buried.

Not to be outdone, Earls matched their counterparts’ efforts. Bodies were hitting the floor for loose balls much to the delight of the crowd.

The two teams traded baskets through the rest of the second until the halftime buzzer.

Throughout the second half, neither team could separate themselves from their opponent, but in the end, it was Earls who managed to drain that extra basket to take the first game.

Jayden Demchuck led Earls with 17 points. Christine Miral chipped in 10 as the only other Earls player to hit double digits.

Claire Abbott dropped 23 points to lead Miranda and all scorers. She was the only Miranda player to hit the double-digit mark. Nicole Farkas potted eight.

The two teams will be back in action on Saturday at the Canada Games Centre. If necessary, game three will be played Sunday.