BC Girls AAA Basketball Provincials: Day 1
Day 1 of the AAA provincial championship was action packed and full of great performances. Here's what you missed if you weren't able to make it out to the LEC.
Riverside vs Royal Bay
Riverside raced out to a big early lead, seemingly matching every three that Royal Bay mustered. The Rapids defensive effort stifled the Ravens in the second half. The Combo of Jessica Parker and Sammy Shields combined for 62 points as the Riverside Rapids defeated the Royal Bay Ravens 108-49. Jessica Parker was named Player of the Game.
Brookswood vs McMath
Both teams battled it out to start, with Brookswood holding on to a slender three point lead at the end of the first. It looked over when they got up to a 14 point lead in the second, but there was no quit from the Wildcats. They clawed their way back to even, eventually taking the lead near the end of the third. Both teams traded buckets after that.
In the most dramatic ending of the day, it came down to the final tenths of the game with McMath at the line. They needed to hit both free throws to tie it up, but missed both. The Bobcats survived a scare and won 70-68. Jenna Dick was named player of the game with 24 points.
Robert Bateman vs Argyle
It was the Timberwolves who came out on the front foot, racing out to a 28-16 lead. But the Pipers were not going to give up, and went on a run of their own to cut the lead down to just three. The second half saw Robert Bateman continue to pound the glass and use their size advantage to their advantage. Argyle just didn’t seem to get the timely rebounds any team needs to pull off the upset, as they were defeated 87-48. Jayden Gill had a game high 19 points.
Walnut Grove vs Lord Byng
Walnut Grove took care of business in their first round matchup, defeating Lord Byng 102-54. The combo of Tavia Rowell and Jessica Wisotzki proved too much for the Grey Ghosts to contain, as they combined for 48 points and many highlight reel buckets. Sophie Wisotzki finished with 21 points for the Gators, while Maggie Mackay had a team high 18 points for the Grey Ghosts. They will play Robert Bateman tomorrow at 5:00 pm.
Kelowna vs Mount Baker
Defending champs Kelowna faced the Mount Baker Wild in their first round matchup, and if this game is any indication they will be hard to dethrone. The Owls had a 50-17 lead at the break, but Mount Baker played well in the second half — they were outscored in the third quarter by just two points But the champs proved why they’ll be tough to beat, rallying back and eventually winning this game 94-46. Jaeli Ibbertson had a game high 28 points for Kelowna, while Kiara Ker had 25 points and 11 boards for Mount Baker.
Yale vs Nanaimo
The Yale Lions were in a battle to start, as they clung to a two point lead halfway through the first quarter. It was thereafter though that the Lions deadly attack pounced on the Islanders. They led 57-24 at the half and shot just over 40% from the field for the game, cruising to a 107-44 victory. Tana Pankratz did her best LeBron impression in this one, scoring 34 points and 14 rebounds to go along with six steals and six assists.
OKM vs Abbotsford Senior
The 8th/9th game is usually a great game at provincials, and this one did not disappoint at the beginning. OKM hit a ton of big three’s in the first half, while Marin Lenz of the Abbotsford Panthers did her best to try and keep up with the Huskies torrid pace.
OKM led by 22 at the break, and pulled away in the second half. The Panthers just couldn’t stop the precision passing attack that the Huskies unleashed on them. Final score was 91-77 with Jenna Robinson getting Player of the Game honours.
Semiahmoo vs North Peace
It was a comfortable victory for the Semiahmoo Totems, as they beat North Peace 90-29. The Totems balanced attack was running on all cylinders, as four player had more than 10 points. Both Izzy Forsyth and Faith Dut finished with a double-double.
Written by: Nick Bondi