BY GARY AHUJA (Special for Varsity Letters)
The 16 games are done and the 24 teams are now settled into their three 8-team brackets (Championship, Showcase and Rivalry) following 16 games on day one of the Junior Girls Basketball Provincial Invitational Tournament!
TOP HALF DRAW
No. 1 OAK BAY 56 No. 17 FLEETWOOD PARK 32
LANGLEY — Facing an opponent playing their second game (and an overtime period) in less than eight hours, the well-rested Oak Bay Breakers came out firing – scoring the first 10 points – and then shutting things down at the other end of the floor as the Fleetwood Park Dragons went the entire second quarter without a point.
The result? An insurmountable 30-10 halftime lead for the top seed at the 51st Annual Junior Girls Basketball Provincial Invitational Tournament. The Breakers didn’t let up to start the second half, either, quickly scoring the first three baskets as their lead ballooned to 26.
The rest of the game was much more balanced, with Fleetwood Park outscoring the Breakers 22-20 for the 56-32 final score.
Adelle Bergmann led Oak Bay with 17 points, Molly Andulajevi had 16 and Eden Henderson chipped in 13.
Saavyn Mann scored all 12 of Fleetwood’s points in the third quarter and finished with a game-high 19, and that came on the heels of a 39-point performance earlier in the morning in a 63-60 overtime win over the G.W. Graham Grizzlies.
The Dragons were down eight late in the fourth quarter before closing on an 8-0 run to extend the game. The Grizzlies’ Ashlyn Kuffler led her team with 15 while Jada Paquin had 14.
No. 8 OKANAGAN MISSION 52 BRITANNIA 15
The Okanagan Mission Huskies used a stifling defensive effort, limiting the Britannia Bruins to single digits in each of the four quarters. With their opponent could not buy a basket, the Huskies Shae Sandhu was a one-person scoring machine as she scored from inside and out, nailing a trio of triples as part of her 38-point performance.
The Bruins were 47-39 winners earlier in the day over the J.L. Jackson Jays with Jemilla Zongo leading Britannia with 13 points while the Jays’ Grade 9 guard Regina Aguirre-Uribarren poured in 16.
No. 4 HOLY CROSS 47 ST. MICHAELS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL 44
With the score tied in the fourth quarter, the Holy Cross Crusaders rattled off an 11-3 run to fend off the St. Michaels University School Blue Jags 47-44. Chloe Mangalindan led the Crusaders with seven fourth-quarter points, finishing the game with a team-high nine points as Holy Cross used a balanced attack.
The Blue Jags were limited to just four points in the second quarter. Charlie Anderson scoring 19 points.
S.M.U.S. was playing its second game of the day, earlier beating Riverside 53-32 with Anderson again leading the way, this time with 21 points. Elandi van Jaarsveld was tops for Riverside with 15 points.
No. 5 ARGYLE 59 No. 21 SIR ALEXANDER MACKENZIE 39
A huge second quarter which saw them score 19 points provided enough of a cushion for the Argyle Pipers, who denied the Sir Alexander Mackenzie Grizzlies a bid for a second-straight upset. The Pipers had no players reach double digits but did have 10 who scored three points or more, led by Cassidy Nugent’s nine. Annika Parr (19 points) and Ayanna Parr (14 points) led the way for the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies needed overtime in their morning game, as they upset the No. 12 St. Thomas More Collegiate Knights 49-47. Kashlyn Mack’s 17 points – 10 of which came in the fourth quarter — led the Grizzlies in that game while Kyla Limon and Meara McCormick each scored 14 for the Knights.
No. 2 YALE 54 No. 18 SOUTH DELTA 45
Twenty points form Tylin Manning paced the Yale Lions to a 54-45 win over the South Delta Sun Devils. The Devils’ Grade 9 guard Zoe Millette led all scorers with 21. South Delta defeated No. 15 Heritage Woods 43-31 earlier in the day with Jenna McCaig scoring 20.
No. 10 M.E.I. 55 No. 7 DUCHESS PARK 51
The M.E.I. Eagles pulled off the upset, becoming the only team to win twice on opening day after edging the Duchess Park Condors 55-51. The Eagles were ahead by 13 points entering the fourth quarter before the Condors made it a one-possession game, before running out of time. Mya Buttar’s 12 points led the Eagles while Mercedes Black had 22 for Duchess Park.
M.E.I.’s earlier game was a 58-38 win over Crofton House with Lola Reimer hitting seven 3-pointers as part of a 31-point performance. Sarah Law’s 15 points led the Falcons.
No. 3 BROOKSWOOD 69 No. 19 HANDSWORTH 38
It was a pair of Grade 8s leading the way for the Brookswood Bobcats as the duo of Jordyn Nohr and Ashley Vande Ven combined for 49 points in their team’s 69-38 win over Handsworth.
Nohr, a 5-9 guard scored 25, while the 6-1 Vande Ven had 24 to lead the ‘Cats to victory.
The Royals won a squeaker, 52-50, over the Vernon Panthers earlier in the day, with Madeline Summer scoring 17. Adie Janke scored 23 for the Panthers.
No. 6 LORD TWEEDSMUIR 74 No. 11 ROYAL BAY 45
Sammy Ma scored 30 points as the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers booked their spot in the Championship Bracket with a decisive 74-45 win over the Royal Bay Ravens. Belma Kambo added 17 points in the victory.
Royal Bay’s Avery Snook scored 11 in the team’s win in game one over the Valleyview Vikes. Neveah Gelowitz scored 13 for the Vikes.
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