Usually, scoring 11 points in a curling match is enough to win the game.

Usually.

As Vernon skip Rob Nobert unfortunately found out Tuesday, Jan. 21, at the B.C. Men's Curling Championships in Langley, sometimes 11 points is not enough.

Nobert let a 9-3 lead at the fifth-end break slip away, and fell 14-11 in an extra end to New Westminster's Brent Pierce in one of the highest scoring games ever recorded at the provincial finals.

Leading 4-3, Nobert scored five in the fifth end for a comfortable 9-3 advantage. But Pierce 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ four-time B.C., and Canadian and World Men's champion 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ took over the match late in the second half.

After the teams exchanged single points in the sixth and seventh ends, Pierce scored four in the eighth to cut the deficit to 10-8, then took the lead for the first time by stealing three points in the ninth. Nobert would tie the game with the hammer to force an extra end, where Pierce scored three with the final stone for the 14-11 victory.

The loss dropped Nobert into the B event. He opened the tournament Tuesday morning with an 8-5 win over Brad Thompson of Kamloops.

Pierce moved into an A event semifinal Wednesday at 9 a.m. against Glenn Venance of Penticton, who defeated 2024 B.C. Men's runner-up Jason Montgomery of Victoria 6-1 in their opening match. Vernon's Erik Colwell throws second stones for Venance.

The Penticton skip doubled Pierce 6-3 Wednesday morning to move to the A event playoff qualifier Thursday, Jan. 23, at 2 p.m.

Lake Country's Jeff Richard began the provincials with a 9-6 loss to Langley's Jared Kolomaya, dropping Richard to the B event.

Richard will take on Jeff Guignard of Vancouver, and Nobert will tangle with Jay Wakefield of New Westminster Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m.

Richard finished third at the 2024 championships.

Twelve teams are competing in the event, which uses a triple knockout format to determine the four playoff teams. The winner of the provincials will be the B.C. rep at the Montana's Brier Feb. 28-March 9 at Prospera Place in Kelowna.

Eight teams are also competing at the George Preston Recreation Centre in Langley at the B.C. Women's Curling Championships. The winner goes to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Feb. 14-23 in Thunder Bay.

Vernon's Alyssa Kyllo is throwing second stones for Sarah Wark of Abbotsford, who started the round-robin Tuesday with a pair of losses. 

Wark fell 10-7 to Holly Hafeli of Kamloops, and dropped a 10-5 decision to Dailene Pewarchuk of Victoria.

The Abbotsford rink gave up 10 points for a third consecutive game in a 10-8 loss Wednesday morning to undefeated Kristen Ryan of Maple Ridge (3-0).

Vernon's Jim Cotter 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ 10-time B.C. Men's champ 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ is coaching the Corryn Brown rink from Cotter's hometown of Kamloops. Brown, who lost the 2024 provincial final to the now-retired Clancy Grandy of Vancouver, opened with a 9-4 win Tuesday over Steph Jackson-Baier of Victoria.

Brown will play Hafeli and Pewarchuk on Wednesday.