Yale's Ava Heppner (right) pictured here driving on Burnaby Central's Sophia Morton during Dec. 14 action at the 2023 TBI, led her Lions to the G.W. Graham Top 10 title on Saturday in Chilliwack and was later named tourney MVP. (Photo by Ryan Molag property of Langley Events Centre 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

Pride of the Lions! MVP Ava Heppner helps lead Yale of Abbotsford to first place at G.W. Graham Top 10 tourney and to No. 3 in latest B.C. Quad-A rankings!

CHILLIWACK — There has been no shortage of inspiring play this season from the senior girls basketball team at Abbotsford’s Yale Secondary.Yet more times than not for the hard-working Lions, there has been a distinct lack of championship finishes as they have traversed the fields of the province’s very best invitational tournaments in 2023-24.All of […]

South Kamloops' Kiana Kaczur (left) tries to battle around Alex Motherwell of the SMUS Blue Jags during Day 3 Final Four action at the 2023 B.C. senior girls high school basketball championships. Both teams remain in the top three off the latest B.C. senior girls Triple-A rankings. (Photo by Blair Shier property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

BC girls Top 10 hoop ranks 01.16.24: It’s all about the rise and fall! Two new No. 1s, plus big climbers at Argyle, Yale, OKM and SMUS highlight a parity-filled party!

LANGLEY — Over a senior girls high school basketball season in which parity is clearly showing itself to be the norm within the province’s two largest tiers, the key plot line is all about the rise and fall.That’s the story behind the first Top 10 rankings of 2024, with new No. 1’s at both the […]

A blur in the open floor, Seaquam's Camryn Tait (left) is guarded by Riverside's Jorja Hart during final day action from the 2023 Tsumura Basketball Invitational on Saturday at the Langley Events Centre.(Photo by Ryan Molag property of Langley Events Centre 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

A SUNDAY TBI READ: As Seaquam tops Riverside for Super 16 title, here’s to a fateful draw, writing about a new generation of Taits and the power of old hoops photos!

LANGLEY — In the days leading up to the Tsumura Basketball Invitational’s tip off this past Wednesday at the Langley Events Centre, Seaquam Seahawks head coach Lucky Toor did a quick scan of the Super 16 draw his team would be a part of.With a hopeful bent, Toor imagined all of the potential foes his […]

St. Thomas More's Kyla Limon (left) tries to slow the progress of MEI's Lola Reimer during final day action from the 2023 Tsumura Basketball Invitational on Saturday at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by by Wilson Wong protected image 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

Tsumura Hoops: Poise under pressure allows MEI Eagles to weather STM Knights’ pressure defence en route to TBI Select 16 title!

LANGLEY — By the time the fourth quarter had hit its stretch drive in a game much too close to call, Abbotsford’s MEI Eagles were flapping along on ruffled feathers, busy just trying to maintain their intended flight plan towards a championship title here at the Tsumura Basketball Invitational.It was, after all, the very juncture […]

Riverside's Avery Sussex, here guarded by Burnaby Central's Ella Ricketts, was at her very best during Day 3 semifinal action from the 2023 Tsumura Basketball Invitational on Friday at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by by Wilson Wong protected image 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

SUPER 16 TBI GIRLS FINAL FOUR FRIDAY: Spurred by the agony of defeat, Riverside Rapids at their best when playing from deeper place! Title clash vs. Seaquam to determine new B.C. Quad-A No. 1 team!

4A No. 2 RIVERSIDE 86 4A No. 4 BURNABY CENTRAL 81LANGLEY — It may be cliche to say that the numbers have told the story here all week at TBI 2023 for the defending B.C. Quad-A champion Riverside Rapids.Yet simple math, when used in the right context, turns out to be a pretty telling way […]

Seaquam's Mackenzie Henderson had another great shooting performance against the Brookswood Bobcats during Day 3 semifinal action from the 2023 Tsumura Basketball Invitational on Friday at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

SUPER 16 TBI GIRLS FINAL FOUR FRIDAY: Despite its warts, much-hyped Seaquam-Brookswood clash delivers on so many levels! Seahawk win sets up Super 16 title date with Riverside Rapids!

4A No. 3 SEAQUAM  67 2A No. 1 BROOKSWOOD 40LANGLEY — The Quad-A No. 3 Seaquam Seahawks of North Delta were fresh off a win over the No. 1-ranked Argyle Pipers.Meanwhile, Langley’s Brookswood Bobcats came in with the No. 1 ranking in Triple A, and were themselves fresh off a win over the Double-A No. […]

Holy Cross' Alyssia Palma (right) looks to score while being defended by MEI's Kallie Strachan during Day 3 semifinal action from the 2023 Tsumura Basketball Invitational on Friday at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

SELECT 16 TBI GIRLS FINAL FOUR FRIDAY: MEI Eagles close game in the shooter’s zone, rally past Holy Cross for Select 16 finals clash vs. STM’s Comeback Kids!

3A No. 4 MEI  67 2A No. 4 HOLY CROSS 56LANGLEY — Judging by the way they are finishing games this week here at the Tsumura Basketball Invitational, Abbotsford’s MEI Eagles are winning even as they are losing the battle of attrition.The team which had starting point guard Eva Driedger and back-up Mya Buttar knocked […]

St. Thomas More's Demicah Arnaldo takes aim against the Walnut Grove Gators during Day 3 semifinal action Friday from the 2023 Tsumura Basketball Invitational on Wednesday at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Gary Ahuja property of Langley Events Centre 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

SELECT 16 TBI GIRLS FINAL FOUR FRIDAY: Could this be magic? St. Thomas More’s out-of-nowhere 22-0 run stuns Walnut Grove Gators!

2A No. 5 ST. THOMAS MORE 51 4A WALNUT GROVE 40By Howard TsumuraLANGLEY — The easy question to ask St. Thomas More Knights senior girls basketball head coach regarding the performance of her team now to wgames running: Is it magic?“Yes, and no,” Cassie Lauang said after the Knights went on a three-point drenched 22-0 […]

St. Thomas More's Kyla Limon feels the defensive pressure from Churchill Bulldogs' Crystal Charchuk (left) and Sasha Neuhaus during Day 2 action from the 2023 Tsumura Basketball Invitational on Thursday at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

TBI 2023 Girls Day 2: Select 16 has gone final! Get ready for Final Four Friday with STM-Walnut Grove, and MEI-Holy Cross!

LANGLEY —We’ve got all four game reports posted right here.Enjoy, and remember the Final Four begins with two Select 16 games Friday afternoon at the LEC.TBI 2023GIRLSSELECT 16(All games played on Centre Court)TOP HALF DRAWQUADRANT A2A No. 5 ST. THOMAS MORE 57 4A-HM SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL 51 LANGLEY — In basketball, getting into a zone can […]

Her body language perhaps expressing a free and clear path in the paint to the basket, Riverside's star senior guard Avery Sussex led her team against Victoria's SMUS Blue Jags during Day 2 action from the 2023 Tsumura Basketball Invitational on Thursday at the Langley Events Centre. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2023. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Basketball

TBI 2023 Girls Day 2: Super 16 goes final! Now, it’s Friday Final 4 with Riverside-Bby Central, Seaquam-Brookswood! Superstar Nohr drops 44 ‘Cats in OT win!

LANGLEY — Welcome to Day 2 of the 2023 Tsumura Basketball Invitational.What a day, led by the Grade 9 superstar Jordyn Nohr and her 44 points in Brookswood’s OT win over Mulgrave, and Seaquam taking down Quad-A No. 1 Argyle! Can you stand it!Full game reports below:GIRLSSUPER 16CHAMPIONSHIP DRAW(All games played at South Court)TOP HALF […]