Champions were crowned in three divisions this weekend at the inaugural three-on-three basketball tournament supporting the Lynx program.

The tournament was a fundraiser for the Lynx basketball program, a Whitehorse-based club that offers training and playing opportunities for girls and young women.

The funds raised will help support three Lynx basketball teams travelling to compete at a tournament in Abbotsford, B.C., later this month.

The tournament was held Saturday on the outdoor courts at Porter Creek Secondary School, making it the Yukon’s only outdoor basketball tournament.

In its first year, the tournament saw eight teams squaring off against each other in the open men’s division, three teams in the open women’s division and three teams in the U17 girls category.

The championship in the open men’s division went to the Tropics – Sean Munro, Dave Stehelin and Anthony DeLorenzo – who were undefeated after a full day of play.

The Tropics edged out a team of younger players led by team captain Walter Hermosa Jr.

In the open women’s division, team Legs for Days took the title thanks to strong play from each of Sarah Taylor, Noria Deacon, K’eduka Jack and Ann Jirousek.

The winning team in the U17 girls division was Jetta Bilsky, Isabel Magcsucang, Katelyn Holway, Jayden Demchuk and Abigail Cuenza – a team that featured several players who will be representing Yukon at the 2015 Western Canada Summer Games.

Lynx basketball organizers say the fundraiser was a great success and they were thrilled to see the city’s larger basketball community come out to support the girls.

Plans are already underway for a larger tournament in the spring of 2016, with more divisions and teams.

Lynx basketball is a growing program with two age groups and close to 50 girls training and playing in the fall and spring.

The program has grown steadily since it was first launched four years ago.

The upcoming tournament in Abbotsford marks the first time Lynx teams will travel to a tournament in southern Canada.

The three-on-three event was popular, as basketball players who are used to playing in gyms throughout the winter typically enjoy the chance to play outdoors, including the added challenge of playing with outdoor elements like sun, wind and a ground surface that’s much less forgiving if you fall down.

Three-on-three is becoming a very popular form of the sport, according to organizers. The action happens at a single hoop, distilling the game down to the basics of attacking off the dribble, passing and shooting.

With fewer players around the hoop, there’s often more room to drive and attack the hoop.

Players and spectators alike find three-on-three basketball very entertaining to play and watch.