A Columbia Falls native who now lives in Polson is a world basketball champion at the tender age of 71.

Terry Souhrada was a point guard on the USA Global 65-70 age group team in the Federation of Masters’ Basketball Association league.

Souhrada played an age group down as the team of 60-something ballers beat Brazil for the championship recently, 68-60 in the World Championship Tourney in Argentina.

Souhrada was a center for the Wildcats in the 1969-70 season and after high school he said he wanted to continue to play ball, but never got a shot in college.

But he still stayed active in the game, playing in various adult leagues while teaching math and coaching hoops in Polson for 35 years. Later in life he started playing in senior leagues, eventually joining a 5-on-5 league in Canada.

One thing led to another as he played in tournaments and he ended up becoming a member of the USA Global team as a second unit point guard on a squad that featured players his age from across the United States.

They were a talented bunch, he said.

“We pressed full court and averaged 89 points a game,” he said.

The squad won their pool round, beating Argentina, Chile and Costa Rica. In the medal round they beat another Chilean team, then Serbia in the semis.

The championship was nip and tuck.

“We were ahead by 21 at the half,” he said. “But we missed 15 in a row in the second half and let them back in.”

Souhrada said he loves the game and has been fortunate to not have any major injuries.

The Polson school lets him use the gym to work out and practice his game.

He said the tourney was a lot of fun.

“It’s pretty amazing,” he said. “It’s kind of like living in my 20s all over again,” he said. “The most talented group of I’ve ever played basketball with.”

None of the players had been pros, though some played college ball and one played on the Puerto Rican national team.

Souhrada said he wants to continue playing in the league, but will likely move up an age category for future tournaments.