There is a sense of pride, apparently, that comes with being known as that "hard working pesky team from the north".

It may not have translated into any victories (notwithstanding moral ones) for the Team North U12 boys at the recent OSPD (Ontario Summer Development Program) playdowns in Toronto - but it remained a sense of pride, nonetheless.

Challenged already with a huge size deficit against their southern opponents - the team was outrebounded by a wide margin in each and every game - the northern squad "took some time to adapt to the speed, aggressiveness and fast-paced style of games" in the words of head coach Derrick Hartley and his trusty assistant, Martin Nadeau in their opening encounter.

Down by 31 at the half, the team put together a far better second half, outscored 23-12 as Tri-County West bounced the North, 65-23. Robert Reyce topped the scoring parade in a losing cause with a dozen points, earning Player of the Game accolades.

Facing the tournament favourites in game two, the North got off to a better start, braced for the physicality and speed of the game. While the scoreboard might not have looked any better in a 73-24 loss to Central East South, the eye-test was much better in the opinion of the coaches.

Preston Lyle netted eight points to show the way for Team North while Simon McKechnie was recognized as Player of the Game.

With a pair of post players sidelined for game three, Team North prioritized speed and the denial of ball entry to try and stay close with St Lawrence - and it worked.

Led by a balanced attack that saw Brady Hartley (7 pts - Player of the Game) finish with just one point more than teammates Declan Sauvé, Malik Hussam-Eddin and Mérick Nadeau, Team North went right down to the final buzzer before conceding a 39-37 triumph to the eastern Ontario entry.

With Sudbury residents Tejada Gieselman and Cooper Haywood paired with Liam Siebert from North Bay and the Timmins duo of Matthew Kelly and Draydon Mascaro, Team North clearly drew from across the region.

"With a cachement area that his huge, the commitment of the players (and parents) to attend the seven sessions, working on player development was impressive," said coach Hartley. "These kids have shown their dedication, putting in the work to become better players and eventual leaders in their communities."