NO. 1 HOLY CROSS 85 NO. 13 WESTSYDE 52
By IAN FRENCH (Special for Varsity Letters)
LANGLEY — Closing out semifinal action at the B.C. senior girls 2A provincial championships, the red-hot, top-ranked Holy Cross Crusaders went toe-to-toe with the 13th-seeded Westsyde Whundas, a surging underdog. It was an energetic battle of the bigs, with the majority of buckets coming from inside the paint. Yet, as the clock ticked down, the Crusaders’ play picked up as they poured in 53 second-half points to power an 85-52 win.
After back-to-back commanding victories to get to the final four, the Crusaders weren’t just seeking their 28th win in a row; they were seeking redemption. Last year’s runner-up, the Crusaders fell in an eight-point loss to the St. Michael’s University School. That clearly was a building block that fueled this roster of returning players as they started this tournament determined. However, the Whundas looked to give them their best test yet as they were riding high from their upsets that saw them overcome the fourth and fifth seeds to reach this stage of the tournament.
Despite seeing double and triple teams all night long, junior Whundas forward Ryen Scott finished this one with 18 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks, while senior guard Meena Litt poured in a game-high 24 points to go along with 14 rebounds. For the Crusaders, senior guard and team captain Isla Iannuzzi led the offensive charge, totalling 22 points while senior forward Solene Jackson anchored the defence and stuffed the stat sheet, posting 16 points, 14 rebounds – 10 of which were on the offensive end – seven steals and four blocks.
“It’s not uncommon for her, which is insane. She’s just a beast”, laughed Holy Cross head coach Amy Beauchamp when asked about Jackson’s stat line. “In every aspect of the game, steals, rebounds, blocks, scoring, she’s just a nightmare, honestly. I’m glad she’s on our side.”
Both teams opened the first quarter with finesse. Senior Whundas guard Hudsyn Morrison kicked off the game’s scoring with a drive and spin through traffic for two. On the next possession, the Crusaders followed suit as Jackson spun her way into the paint for a finish of her own. From there, senior forward Alyssia Palma made her presence known for Holy Cross. Near the midway point of the frame, she fought her way to an offensive rebound and put it back for the score, she then swatted a shot on the defensive end that turned into another two points for her team, establishing a five-point lead.
As the quarter continued, Scott was everywhere for Westsyde. She was rebounding on both ends of the floor and spaced it well, giving her teammates open looks while closing out on her opponents. But as hard as the Whundas were battling, the Crusaders were able to slowly tack on points to build their advantage. Highlighted by a clean screen that sprung Iannuzzi to the corner for an open catch-and-shoot three, the Crusaders reached a 10-point lead before finishing the first quarter up 19-10.
Whundas team captain Litt wasted no time to start the second as she stopped on a dime in transition, rose from the top of the arc and buried a three early in the frame. Yet the Crusaders just kept charging. Through fastbreak points and terrific ball movement on offence, their squad hummed throughout the frame as they went into halftime with a 32-18 lead.
Coming out of the break, Litt tried to will Westyde back into it. Led by a pair of threes and a handful of trips to the foul line, she tallied 14 of her team’s 17 points in the quarter. However, Palma and Jackson’s dominance inside continued the Crusaders’ push. Boasting a 19-point lead late in the frame, Palma held the ball at the top of the arc with Jackson on the wing. The two made eye contact and ran a play that saw a perfectly timed pocket pass and screen that freed Jackson for a wide-open three. Iannuzzi followed a few possessions later with two long balls of her own, sending Holy Cross into the fourth with a commanding 65-35 cushion.
The Whundas’ effort never wavered as they carried on fighting in the fourth, but they couldn’t overcome the well-oiled machine that was the Crusaders. Holy Cross maintained a firm grip the rest of the way, earning an eventual 85-52 win and solidifying a return trip to the final.
With the win, the top-ranked Holy Cross Crusaders will take on the St. Thomas More Collegiate Knights in the 2A provincial championship. The highly anticipated final game of the tournament is set for February 28th at 3:15 p.m. PT at the Langley Event Centre’s Arena Bowl.
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