NO. 3 ST. THOMAS MORE COLLEGIATE 78 NO. 2 CREDO CHRISTIAN 74
By GARY KINGSTON (Special for Varsity Letters)
LANGLEY – The St. Thomas More Knights senior girls basketball team is a delight to watch. Fun. Exciting. Thrilling.
Yes, as has been well documented, they are height challenged, but they fly around the court defensively like their shorts are on fire or someone’s chasing them with a squirt gun.
Offensively, they run the dribble handoff like they’re a distaff version of the Harlem Globetrotters.
When their shooting is on, they can drain three-pointers from anywhere behind the arc and convert from the foul line like it’s virtually automatic.
Shoot. Swish. Count it.
All that was on display Friday as the Double A No. 3 seed advanced to Saturday’s championship final with a dramatic 78-74 victory over No. 3 seed Credo Christian.
Yeah, it was closer than it needed to be after the Kodiaks, seemingly mesmerized themselves by the Knights wizardry, went on 16-0 run spanning the end of the third quarter and most of the fourth to close to within three points at 70-67.
“That’s a testament to Credo, to their resilience and their coaching,” said relieved STM bench boss Cassie Lauang, who admitted to being “scared and nervous” as the lead nearly slipped away. “Their toughness showed and that’s something we’ve been talking about, about being part of our DNA.”
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A teary-eyed Kayla Vanderhorst said she was immensely proud of her squad to be able to come back from 23 points down at one point.
“That was incredible, whoa.”
But a momentum-turning three-pointer from STM guard Mia Believeau with 1:49 remaining and four clutch free throws from fellow Grade 12 guard Demicah Arnoldo in the final 37 seconds after the lead was reduced to two allowed the Knights to hang on.
“We just trust each other so much,” said Beliveau of the eventual poise the Knights showed late when they could have caved under the Eagles onslaught.
“We stayed composed when it was a close game. We had a great shooting night and I’m so proud of all of our girls. We worked so hard for this.”
The prowess from outside began from the opening tip as the Knights opened up on a 9-0 run with back-to-back-to-back three-pointers. In the end, they recorded half their 78 points from behind the arc on 13 three-pointers, with diminutive guards Arnoldo and Mackenzie Pagtakhan combining to go nine-of-16 from deep.
“I think the threes and the Gods were in our favor today in terms of making it rain,” said Lauang. “The weather was nice (outside), but it was raining in here, that’s for sure. We knew they were big, knew they were going to take up space, so we had to be brave. We knew we had to take a lot of shots to get the percentage that we wanted.”
Arnoldo finished with a team-high 20 points. Beliveau had 18 and Pagtakhan 15.
“We saw one of us going and then we just got hyped off of that and they all started falling from there,” said Beliveau.
Arnoldo, Beliveau and Pagtakhan are all Grade 12s and accomplished leaders.
“We have three senior guards and that is an intangible,” said Lauang. “The composure that they showed, the belief and the confidence they had in each other, that’s what made the difference today.”
Luang also said she had no doubt that Arnoldo would convert those four late free throws.
“She’s cold blooded, probably one of the most stoic kids you’re ever going to meet. There’s a lot of analytical (hoops) IQ there for sure. She’s absolutely cold blooded, man.”
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