Bermuda made a winning start at the Haico World Indigenous Basketball Challenge in British Columbia, Canada on Wednesday night.

The national men’s basketball team erased a fourth-quarter deficit with an impressive 21-8 run down the final stretch to beat hosts and defending champions Team Vancouver 101-88 in their opening match at the Simon Fraser University.

Chris Crumpler led Bermuda’s charge with 35 points which included seven three-pointers from beyond the arc.

Professional Sullivan Phillips chipped in with 18, Jason Lowe 15 and Tejour Riley, one of the youngest members in the squad, ten to hold up their end of the bargain.

“Although a high-scoring affair, it was the defensive rebounds and attention to detail in their half-court defence that proved to be the difference,” Roderick Spencer, the Bermuda head coach, said.

Bermuda were in control with a 51-44 advantage at half time but went cold in the second, eventually falling in arrears in the final quarter before rebounding with a late flurry to pull away for good.

“The start of the second half we came out flat, missed several defensive assignments, turned the ball over and seemed to have lost our shooting touch,” Spencer said.

“We were outscored 18-28 in the third quarter and this carried into the fourth quarter and with only six minutes to play Bermuda had their first taste of being behind.

“A few timely timeouts got the guys refocused and the tide of momentum swung back in Bermuda’s favour for a win over the host team and defending champions.

“Team Vancouver was a very good team. They have a few ex-professionals and ex-university Division I and Division II players, and we have not played a team that shoot the ball from three-point distance as well as they could in a very long time.

“Playing your first game is always nerve-racking for the new players and we tried to get them all involved early.”