Bballnationals Day 2: Round 1

10:00am Games

Vancouver Fusion vs Capilano

Van Fusion led in the first, going on a 7-0 run. Capilano looked tired in comparison, but pushed for points to end off the half. With a stacked team of notable alumni, Fusion had the upper hand and was quick to the hoop with almost every possession. At the half, they led 38-13 over Capilano.

The rest of game continued to be a battle for Cap as Van hit five 3s and kept it real in the paint with easy layups.

Vancouver Fusion defeated Capilano with a final score of 76-39.

UFV Open vs Edmonton Grads

UFV Open were the first to put up points against the Edmonton Grads. With momentum on their side, they went for a 7-0 run before the Grads could drop in one of their own.

At the end of the first half, UFV led 33-18.

The Grads tried to make bit of a comeback in the second, sinking a couple vital 3s, but it just wouldn’t be enough to take down the might UFV gals.

UFV Open claimed their first win of Day 2 with a final score of 65-40 over the Edmonton Grads.

Burnaby Ballers vs Big Country Athletics

The Burnaby Ballers hit the scoreboard early and continued their moment with multiple possessions finding the hoop. Emma Kramer hit a midway 3 that seemed to solidify their hefty lead.Ballers led 43-23 at the end of the first half.

Burnaby opened up the scoring yet again in the next half and continued to pressure on D, as well as hit easy layups to help continue their point climb. In fact, they kept on keeping on! The Ballers made it real difficult for BCA with a hefty 36-point lead with just two minutes remaining.

And the point rampage did not stop there.

The Burnaby Ballers killed it with a final score of 82-43 with Sienna Lenz taking home POG honours.

VK Basketball U13 vs Big Country Basketball

VK came out with a fury, getting out a quick 15 point lead. However, Big country battled back to make it competitive late in the first half including a solid defensive stop which saw VK take a shot clock violation. However, VK showed why they are one of the favourites in the second half, using their superior ball movement to stun Big Country.

“We worked our hardest and we set lots of new plays” said Marina Radocaj of VK on how her team pulled out the victory. “We got of screens which let us gets lots of lay ups and shots up.”

Radoacaj had 14 points while Dacia Chin had 9 for Big Country.

BC 250 vs Vic-City Swish

Vic-City stormed out to a quick 8-0 lead, which ballooned into a 22-4 lead over 250. Their size advantage was apparent, as Vic was able to get easy points in the paint. There lead stretched to close to 50 in the second half, and the final score was 80-25.

“I think we worked really hard, we made some better passes than we normally would, and we talked more [on the court]” said Ella Descoteau on her team’s win.

Descoteau had 14 points, while her teammate Lauren Rust had 10. Both teams play again later today at 1:45.

Edmonton Suns vs ASB

This game was defined by its defensive battle. It was just 15-11 for the Edmonton Suns at half, with big stretches where it was hard to come by for points. The second half opened up a bit, and ASB was able to pull out the 40-33 victory.

“We had really good team work and we did our plays really well” said ASB’s Acacia Kubany. “Our passes need to be more sharp in the future.”

Kubany had 11 points while Erin Pagtakhan had 17 for the Suns.

11:15am Games

Big Country Basketball vs Split Second U15

Both teams came out with gold in their eyes hoping to take their first win on Day 2 at Bballnationals. Split Second opened up the scoring, but Big Country attacked right back to put up numbers on the board.

At the end of the first half, Big Country led 21-19.

The second half got super intense since both teams were neck-and-neck in points. Split Second kept their cool on D and were able to stop Big Country in the paint. Over on their end of the court, they made buckets look easy! At the 10-minute mark, Split Second took the lead by 9 points on their opponent, proving that they were in it to win it this half.

With relentless movement and calculated communication, Split Second continued to bring it back to their end, where they eventually splashed in a nice 3 that may have been crucial for the win against BCB.

But like in any game, nothing is ever certain. Big Country Basketball started to make an epic comeback with just under 3 minutes to go. At the two minute mark, # 43 hit a wet 3 to take her team to within just 4 points. With under a minute to go, Split Second U15 led 38-34.

It was all over when SS made a quick layup to almost guarantee the W. Though Big Country nearly made a beauty field goal buzzer bucket, it wasn’t enough.

Split Second U15 defeated Big Country Basketball with a final score of 40-34.

#11 Ali Chong was named Player of the Game and felt honoured to win it for her team.

“I think it’s really important [to win POG] because it’s such a big tournament and there’s so many teams from all over Canada, so it feels really nice!”

LSA U15 vs BC 250 U14

This game started off as even Steven’s, with much of the first half a battle to stay ahead in points.

When LSA made a layup, BC 250 smashed one in, too. The two entered the second half of the game tied at 14 points.

The second half showcased a lot of great defense on both sides of the court, with not many balls hitting the hoops for the opening minutes.

As the clock kept on ticking, the points slowly hit the board, with BC 250 pulling slightly ahead 24-23 at the 6-minute mark.Each team would have to lay it all out on the floor in order to take the cake in this tight game.

BC 250 kicked it into high gear with just under two minutes to go, finding their way to the foul line and taking a slight 3-point lead over LSA. But it wasn’t over just yet. LSA hit a layup to keep it to within just one point...could it be enough? They played impeccable D to steal the ball back in hopes of sinking in just one more shot before the final 20 seconds drained off the clock. After a controversial call by the refs, LSA came in clutch with two points at the free-throw line giving them the lead and which ultimately won them the game.

Dubbed as the closest game of the South this morning, LSA was crowned the champs with a final score of 32-31.

# 21 Kelsey Lalonde was named POG and had this to say following the big win:

“It feels really good because we worked really hard in the last bit of the half; we were down in the mid-second half, and then we started working hard to get up again.”

Edmonton Suns vs Stormhawkes

To kick off the first round of Day 2, the Stormhawkes opened up the scoring with a fancy little layup, giving them a 2-point lead early on. That one layup definitely woke up the beast within the Suns, as they went on a 11-0 run to follow.

Eventually the Stormhawkes found the foul line and put up one more point near the 9-minute mark and one later on in the half.

Defense took over as both teams were unable to find the net for much of the duration of the first half.

With just five minutes to go, the Edmonton Suns ripped it up on offence, going on a 6-0 run before the Stormhawks could put up their own points. At the end of the first half, the Suns led 19-7.

The second half reciprocated much of what we saw in the first, with the Suns dominated on both ends of the court, putting up a solid 31 points and winning the last 16 minutes of play. Though the Stormhawkes did not lose faith, it just wasn’t going to be enough to defeat their highly-skilled opponent.

Final score: 50-17 for the Edmonton Suns over the Stormhawkes.

SVIBA vs VK Gardner

VK used their size inside to grab every rebound possible, controlling the glass and the game in the process. A great move by 11 put them up by 17 ands they rolled to a convincing 64-30 victory.

“We have to switch on screen better” said player of the Game Avery Ratcliffe on what has to improve. “We have to communicate more as well.”

Avery Ratcliffe had 16 points for VK, and Shakira had 11 for SVIBA.

Jabog vs Stormers U15

The Stormers didn’t really storm out, scoring just 17 points in the first half. But they played great defence and limited Jabog to just nine in the opening frame.

Jabog made it an five point game early in the second half, and it was a three point game with four minutes to go. It was scrappy from then on, with every player diving for loose balls and lots of tough fouls. Indigo Learie was fouled late and had a chance to make it even closer with less than a minute left. She made one, but that was the closest they would get.

New had 16 points for Jabog, and Jaydyn Overwater 15 for the Stormers.

Winnipeg Wolves vs VK Carkner

VK’s defensive pressure put Wolves in trouble, as the turnovers proved costly in this one. The team from Winnipeg slowly got their composure together though, as the first half ended 26-15. It was much of the same in the second half as the final score was

“We’re looking forward to our next game” said Emily Sussex VK of their next opponent, Jabog. “They definietely are a really good team and have been playing well in this tournament. We just have to play how we play.

12:30pm Games

Triple Threat Black vs Calgary Storm

Triple Threat Black ( ironically donning white jerseys) hit the court with fire under their feet and immediately took a huge lead early on in the game.

Calgary Storm could not seem to catch up to Triple Threat both physically and mentally, as the girls looked deflated at the midway mark of the first. Despite a trying effort, Triple Threat Black locked it down on O and D, leading 26-13 at the end of the half.

With everything on the line, the Calgary Storm struck back in an attempt to make a run on the scoreboard against TTB. But Triple Threat kept their dukes up and stayed ahead with just 8 minutes remaining. The Storm have a solid foundation and know their role on the court; however, they struggled to put the ball in the hoop on countless occasions.

Feeling the pressure, Calgary stormed the scoreboard to come within just 8 points of Triple Threat with under three minutes to go. With a few fouls, Calgary dug themselves into a hole that would be too deep to climb out of.

Triple Threat Basketball claimed the W with a final score of 51-40 over the Calgary Storm.

TTB’s # 6 Hayley Vanroekel was named POG and was proud of her team for the win.

“We figured out their zone and then we broke it, and just kind of crushed their spirits because we’re like, ‘Whatever you can do, we can do better’.”

And they sure did.

SVIBA vs CBA U16

The CBA U16 girls were the first to put up points, but SVIBA bounced right back with a couple of their own to even the game early on. It’s as though the opening minutes of the half were a vision of what’s to come for both these teams, since CBA proved to be a powerful force on both ends of the court.

As time went on, the two teams battled on both ends to put up points and showcase their skills. SVIBA made a climb, but it wouldn’t be enough to end off the half.

CBA led 35-27 with just 16 minutes to go in the game.

In the final half of the game, CBA continued to pressure SVIBA; despite a tireless effort from the South Vancouver Island team, they just could not catch up.

With a handful of field goals, CBA U16 took the win 61-40 over SVIBA.

# 6 Katie Crombeen had 17 points overall for CBA.

Manitoba Magic vs SWOOSH U16

These two out-of-province teams came in with a lot to prove, showcasing their club’s talents at the national level in front of a packed Field House audience.

Though both teams played pretty much on par for the duration of the first half, the Manitoba Magic held a slight lead over SWOOSH at any given moment.

Heading into the last half, they were up 33-23.

The second boasted a lot of the same play, with the Magic casting a spell over SWOOSH and locking down a solid 20+ point lead for the duration of the game. Try as they might, SWOOSH just could not swoosh in balls to catch up.

Manitoba Magic defeated SWOOSH 70-48.

# 15 Anna Pyne was named Player of the Game and had this to say about her accomplishment:

“It feels pretty cool. It’s a huge tournament, so it’s a huge honour.”

Pyne had 17 points for the Manitoba Magic.

Triple Threat Orange vs SWOOSH

Both of these teams were very evenly matched. Swoosh was great on the boards, but that did not prove enough against their opponents. It was a five point game to start the second half and it remained that way for the majority of it, until Swoosh made it just a two point game with around six minutes to go. However, Triple Threat played some great defence and boxed out well, seeing out the game 39-34.

“I think we just worked together” said Triple Threat’s Aurafel Domingo on her teams win. “When they pressured us we just stuck together and communicated with each other.”

Nicole Torozan had 11 points for Triple Threat.

StormHawks vs Jr. Heat

The Jr Heat scored early and often, as they won over the StormHawks 69-7. The Heat dominated on both sides of the ball and notched another victory in their quest for the U17 title.

“It went pretty well” said the Jr Heat’s Naomi