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NO. 2 CEDARS CHRISTIAN 71 NO. 6 DASMESH 33
By GARY KINGSTON (Special for Varsity Letters)
LANGLEY – Having size, especially when it’s a combination of height and strength, is one thing. Using it effectively to dominate and break down other teams is when the payoff comes.
The Cedars Christian Eagles senior girls basketball team showcased their power – not to mention their notable experience – to beat the Dasmesh Falcons Falcons 71-33 in a Double A semifinal on Friday at the B.C. championships at the Langley Events Centre.
The Prince George school, seeded No. 2 won the board battle handily – 68-41 – and the points in the point number –36-10 – while playing lockdown defence, particularly to start quarters.
Damesh went four minutes without a point to open the game, six minutes scoreless to start the third and didn’t get the team’s first point of the fourth quarter until nearly seven minutes elapsed.
“That sure puts a lot less pressure on us,” said Eagles head coach Jordan Johnson. “That’s what we have to do, rely on defence.”
Those scoring droughts can be demoralizing to any team, let alone one as young as the Falcons, provincials first-timers who had no Grade 12s and featured a trio of Grade 10s in their rotation.
“They’re all still really young,” said coach Taneesh Kaur Sran of the players on the private Punjabi school from Abbotsford that is fielding a senior girls team for the first time in five years. “This is the first time they’ve all played senior basketball.”
Cedars Christian actually only played one Grade 12, forward Chloe McEwan, who had a game-high 22 points and 16 rebounds, but she was part of a rugged front line with Grade 10s Cadence Hooft (14 points, nine boards) and Maeli Kelsh (12 points, six boards), who were just too much for the undersized Falcons.
“Some of the strong teams that we got to play this year, Triple A teams, they help us get more aggressive and now we’re starting to see the pay off of playing those tough competition games,” said Jordan.
With Hooft forced to the bench with three early fouls, McEwan took up the scoring and rebounding load, consistently forcing her way inside to complete the bullish moves or to gobble up offensive boards to either put back shots or to kick out to the Eagles perimeter shooters. Hooft, McEwan and Kelsh combined for 10 assists in the game.
“Having people that can rebound like we do, you get more opportunities to score,” said McEwan of the Eagles, who put up 92 shots to just 58 for the Falcons. “That’s really big.”
Sisters Gurann and Gurnoor each had 11 points to lead Dasmesh.
Grade 11 guard Sofia Johnson contributed 13 points for Cedars Christian, hitting three of the team’s four three-pointers.
“I feel like our team, we’re really balanced,” said Johnson. “Any night can be anyone’s night. So when I’m not hitting, I’m looking for my teammates. No matter what, someone’s going to show up.”
Cedars Christian is likely to face No. 1 seed Acwsaltca Thunder in the final. The school from Bella Coola has won all three previous meetings this season by 34, 12 and nine points.
“Every time we play them, the (points) gap in our losses decreases, so I think it’s going to be a really good fight between us,” said McEwan.
Cedars Christian last won the provincial title in 1999 and finished second three years in a row from 2011-2013. Last season, the Eagles were ousted in a quarterfinal.
“I came here in my Grade 10 year,” said McEwan. “Every year we’ve been getting better and it’s so exciting to see how the program has progressed. It’s amazing.”
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