Moose Jaw’s Jett Kowalchuk had the opportunity to square off with the best players in his age group from across Canada last week.

The Peacock Toilers forward suited up for Team Saskatchewan in male basketball at the 2017 Canada Summer Games during Week 1 action, help them to a seventh place finish.

“It was a great experience all around,” said Kowalchuk. “The basketball games were great and just the Games as a whole, you get to meet so many different people from a bunch of different sports and provinces all across Canada.”

This wasn’t Kowalchuk’s first time representing Saskatchewan, but he said the Canada Games were a different experience and one that he learned a lot from.

“I loved the new competition and definitely sets me up for not only Peacock, but if I decide to keep playing basketball after that,” said Kowalchuk.

Saskatchewan was able to finish on a high note, winning the seventh place game, 85-67, over Team New Brunswick, which came after two narrow losses.

Kowalchuk said it was nice for the team to go out with a win.

“For the last three years, we’ve all been working towards this, so although we didn’t medal or anything, it was great to end on a high note like that,” he said.

Saskatchewan posted a 2-0 record in pool play, but dropped a tight 69-65 game to Team British Columbia in the quarterfinals last Tuesday.

Kowalchuk said that loss was tough because they felt like it was a game that they played well enough to win.

“We executed everything that we wanted to just some bounces didn’t go our way and that’s the way that basketball is,” said Kowalchuk.

Saskatchewan did score a big win during pool play when they knocked off Team Alberta, 76-73. Alberta would go on to take silver, falling 108-65 to Team Ontario in the Gold Medal Game last Friday.

Kowalchuk started in every game for Saskatchewan and felt he was able to contribute in a number of ways.

“I’m a guy that is long and can still handle the ball, so that can create some match-up problems for my opponents, but it was good, I didn’t feel like anyone was too out of my competition or anything like that” said Kowalchuk.

“I might not have scored as much as I do at Peacock, but as long as I can do what I can to put my team in a position to win than I’m fine with that.”

The Canada Games are continuing this week with more locals in action, click here to find out how they’re doing.