Walnut Grove's Sophia Wisotzki (right) is guarded by Riverside's Sammy Shields on Thursday at the LEC. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

Growth in the Grove: Maturity helps Gators punch Final Four tickets with deepest run in program history

LANGLEY — One year ago seems like a very long time in the maturation process of Langley’s Walnut Grove Gators.Oh yes, they took on all comers as the No. 1-ranked team for the majority of this B.C. senior girls Triple A season.And oh yes, you have to search the provincial scene long and hard to […]

Abbotsford Panthers' senior guard Sienna Lenz (right) helped her team drive past Surrey's Sullivan Heights Stars and into Friday's Final 4 at the BC AAA girls basketball championships. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

Sienna Lenz: Her comeback trail complete, Abby’s star senior guard helps lead her Panthers into Final Four Friday

LANGLEY — Ask Sienna Lenz for an interview, and the Abbotsford Panthers senior star politely asks for a few seconds. After all, unstrapping the brace which she still wears to protect her formerly injured right knee is a little more involved than pulling off a pair of socks.

Semiahmoo's Grade 11 forward Faith Dut has the kind of skills, tenacity and ceiling to dominate the game. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters)
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Got Faith? Semiahmoo does, and on Totems stunning Final 4 run, she’s the kind of player who is easy to believe in

LANGLEY — There was a moment just under two minutes into the fourth quarter of Thursday’s first Elite 8 AAA senior girls B.C. high school basketball quarterfinal showdown here at the Langley Events Centre where Faith Dut flashed a little bit of the comic book super-heroine side of herself.The 6-foot-3 Grade 11 forward with Surrey’s Semiahmoo […]

Caelan Scott and the Oak Bay Bays carry a Vancouver Island title and a 25-1 record into Sunday's BC live draw selection show from the LEC. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

03.01.18: March is here, so is the madness! Our final Big 10 senior boys AAAA varsity basketball rankings

LANGLEY — Our final B.C. senior boys AAAA Big 10 rankings are now final. In keeping with the theme of rankings, it’s important to remember that as we wind our way to the release of provincial draws on Sunday, that these are not pre-tournament seedings.

Keri Brar and the rest of her No. 14-seeded North Surrey Spartans earned a tough measure of respect by knocking off the No. 4-seeded St. Thomas More Knights on Day 1 of the 2018 BC junior girls basketball championships in Langley. (Photo by Wilson Wong, property of UBC athletics)
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North Surrey Spartans: Earning respect the hard way at BC JV finals starts with upset of No. 4 STM Knights

By Aly Laube(Special to VarsityLetters.ca)LANGLEY — For the  underdog North Surrey Spartans, facing Burnaby’s St. Thomas More Collegiate Knights here on the opening day of the 2018 B.C. junior girls basketball championships was the best case scenario.

St. John Brebeuf's Ashley Smith (left) tries to gain an edge on Alyssa Klotz of Duncan's Cowichan Thunderbirds during BC junior girls opening-round play on Wednesday at the LEC. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters.ca)
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02.28.2018: Results from the First Round of the B.C. Junior Girls Basketball Championship Qualification Games Are In

By Aly Laube(Special to VarsityLetters.ca)Here’s our look at the first eight games of the day Wednesday at the 2018 B.C. junior girls basketball championships at the Langley Events Centre.

Langley's Christian's Grade 10 sensation Makenna Gardner scored 28 points to lead the Lightning past the Whistler Storm. (Howard Tsumura photo property of VarsityLetters.ca) (Howard Tsumura photo property of VarsityLetters.ca)
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02.28.18: Complete Day 1 reports from the B.C. senior girls AA basketball championships

We’ve got reports from all eight games played in the opening round of the B.C. senior girls AA basketball championship draw but first, here’s Friday’s championship round draw:

Heritage Woods' Breona Martin (left) contends with the defence of Kelowna's Rachel Hare during opening-round action at the 2018 B.C. senior girls AAA basketball championships. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

02.28.18: Complete Day 1 reports from the B.C. senior girls AAA basketball championships

We’ve got reports from all eight games played in the opening round of the B.C. senior girls AAA basketball championship draw, but first a look at Friday’s championship draw:

Oak Bay's Georgia Alexander, headed to NCAA Dartmouth, has been honoured by the BCSSGBA as one of B.C.'s Top 15 high school basketball players. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

From Alexander to Wisotzki: We honour B.C.’s Top 15 girls high school basketball players; along with our POY it’s a super Sweet 16!

LANGLEY — Welcome to the Sweet 16. As has become a traditional way to welcome March Madness, the B.C. Secondary Schools Girls Basketball Association, in conjunction with VarsityLetters.ca presents its annual Player of the Year and B.C. Top 15 Girls Dream Team.

Still only in Grade 11, Walnut Grove Gators' point guard Tavia Rowell has been selected the BCSSGBA's 2017-18 Player of the Year. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

Walnut Grove’s Tavia Rowell: The BCSSGBA’s Player of the Year on dropping dimes and picking up wisdom

LANGLEY —It was a moment of illumination that took place this past December, within the same Centre Court complex of the Langley Events Centre where she will this week try to help make history for her high school.