Basketball is alive and well in the Yukon capital.

However, a Northwest Territories team took the season’s first title out of territory after claiming victory Sunday morning in the Lights Out Yukon Invitational Basketball Tournament.

The Yukon tournament is now in its second year.

In a battle of undefeated teams, Yellowknife beat Whitehorse Gold 71-58 at Vanier Catholic Secondary School.

The hosts got out to an early lead thanks to a strong first quarter from Dave Stehelin, but Yellowknife’s outside shooting saw them take a 10-point lead, 37-27, into the half.

Whitehorse’s Jeremy McCullough powered the Yukon squad to within three points with some tough inside play in the third, but that was as close as Yukon would get.

N.W.T. star and tournament MVP Simon Markowski led the way down the stretch, with help from his big men Morgan Gallagher and Vincent Bélanger en route to the victory.

In other action, the Whitehorse Prospectors claimed third place, 92-80 over the Whitehorse Nuggets, thanks to a tournament-high 39 points from Dylan Salvisberg.

Dawson City’s OCDC team – the event’s defending champs – took the consolation final, defeating Yukon’s Arctic Winter Games squad 68-60.

All-stars were McCullough, Salvisberg, Gallagher, Alex Campbell (Dawson) and Will Chetcuti (Nuggets).

The tournament was held Nov. 12 to 15 including four Whitehorse teams, a Dawson City squad and N.W.T.

A team from Haines, Alaska, had originally registered, but pulled out late. The local Arctic Winter Games team took their place.

The tournament was sponsored by Whitehorse Blue Bin Recycling and other businesses, raising $750 for youth basketball programs in the city.

Meanwhile, the Northern LYTES foundation – established by local Olympians Zach Bell and Emily Nishikawa – will support a youth basketball camp this weekend.

Team Canada basketball coaches Greg Francis ad Dawn Smyth from Toronto and Haines’ Greg Brittenham – a former NBA assistant coach – will work with Arctic Winter Games athletes and youth from around the territory at F.H. Collins Secondary School Nov. 19 to 22.

“Basketball Yukon has a great history of quality programming in the territory, and we know this camp will pay off for hundreds of young athletes for years to come,” Bell said in a press release.

NOTE: Two youth program teams competed at a tournament in Skagway, Alaska, earlier this month. Whitehorse Lynx and Whitehorse Wolf Pack game results were not available at press time today.