Welcome to Day 2 of TBI girls 2024!
We’re on to the quarterfinals today in the Select 16 pool
Please check back througHout the day as Nic Hauka covers the day’s four championship round games!
NOTRE DAME 50 SOUTH KAMLOOPS 28
(STORY BY NICOLAS HAUKA, Special for Varsity Letters)
LANGLEY — The old saying defence wins championships is cliche, but to this day, it still remains true in all team sports.
The Notre Dame Jugglers are playing tenacious, swarming defense at the Tsumura Basketball Invitational in the Select 16 grouping. The Juggler’s attention to detail at their own end of the floor has led them to the semi-finals after a 50-28 victory over the South Kamloops Titans.
Notre Dame head coach Tracey Clarke says her team’s defensive prowess starts with the basics.
“We’re doing the fundamentals. We’re really trying to force them left, because a lot of that works a lot in our basketball, that and doubling ball handlers a lot,” said Clarke on her team’s defensive focus.
Those fundamentals Clarke speaks of are getting hands up while opposing players drive hard in the paint, closing the middle of the floor for easy drives and limiting opposition players to low-percentage shots.
The Juggler’s tactics made life miserable for Titans Star Feron Wallace. Coming off of a 25-point game yesterday against Unity Christian Wallace struggled to get to her favorite spots on the floor finishing with just 13 points on the afternoon.
With their defence leading the way early, Notre Dame’s offence finally found its way thanks to star Emily Chan who forced steals that led to easy transition layups, hit open three-point shots and showed off great playmaking ability in the Juggler’s controlled sets, hitting open teammates cutting to the basket.
“She’s been playing with me and the senior teams. She’s an outstanding athlete, but she’s also very smart. She’s dedicated and she works all off-season. So she is the whole package, and she’s our leader,” Clarke spoke to her star’s importance postgame.
Chan’s 12 and Grade 10 standout Selina Quilatan’s game-high 17 points had the Jugglers up 36-24 going into the fourth quarter. A seemingly comfortable 12-point lead didn’t have the Jugglers relaxed. Just yesterday, Notre Dame led 31-19 heading into the game’s final frame and almost squandered their lead, narrowly pulling off a 40-37 victory.
This go around, the Jugglers didn’t give their opponents a chance, locking in and continuing their stellar play, outscoring the Titans 14-4 in the fourth quarter, sealing their 50-28 victory.
Clarke noted her team’s improvement postgame but says her squad isn’t quite where they want to be yet.
“We need to play a full 40 minutes in the game, which I still don’t think we’re doing, but that’s okay; we’re going to get there for the end of the season.”
The Jugglers will look to continue improving, play a full 40 minutes Friday and punch their ticket to the Select 16 Finals.
MARK ISFELD 51 SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL 42
(STORY BY NICOLAS HAUKA, Special for Varsity Letters)
LANGLEY — The Mark R. Isfeld Ice live by the motto ‘Speed skills’.
Courtenay’s Ice play full-court press relentlessly all game, push in transition and never get tired. Isfeld played their game at their pace in the Select 16 bracket at the Tsumara Basketball Invitational Quarterfinals, wearing down the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs in a 51-42 win.
The Ice’s playing style has opponents huffing and puffing all game long. Isfeld head coach Colin Cunningham planned to tire a Bulldogs roster that lacked his own team’s bench depth from the get-go. That plan didn’t work as quickly as the Ice expected.
“That was the goal. They hung in there for a really long time. They were fit, and they were maybe not as deep as us, but they didn’t slow down much either,” said Cunningham on his opponent’s mental toughness.
In fact, the Bulldogs were doing more than just hanging in the game early on. They held a 21-20 lead at half-time. The Ice may have been causing turnovers and playing great defence, but the team just couldn’t put the ball in the hoop.
“There was a lid on the basket. I mean, we had four or five really good shots in the first quarter that just rolled around and didn’t fall for us,” said Cunningham.
Coming out of the locker room, the Ice kept up the pace, and the Bulldogs began to show fatigue, but more importantly for Isfeld, their offensive woes came to an end.
In the third quarter, the Ice refused to let the ball get past their opponent’s side of half-court. They outscored the Bulldogs 22-5 and looked like a hockey team on a ten-minute powerplay, passing the ball around, collecting every other rebound and dominating possession for what seemed like the entirety of the third frame.
Sara Linares Blanco’s jumper started to fall, with the guard putting 11 second-half points on the board for her team.
Ice forward Katie Hartig collected boards and contributed five second-half points of her own. With the Duo heating up, the Ice built and held onto their comfortable lead till the clock hit zero, punching their ticket to the TBI Semifinals with a 51-42 victory.
Cunningham says his team will be ready to play tomorrow.
“We just need to play our game. We know that we’re good enough to be in this position.”
The Ice will play the Notre Dame Jugglers tomorrow with a spot in the TBI Select 16 finals on the line.
DUCHESS PARK 88 WALNUT GROVE 27
(STORY BY NICOLAS HAUKA, Special for Varsity Letters)
LANGLEY — The Duchess Park Condors stuck to their M.O. in a lopsided 88-27 Tsumara Basketball Invitational Select 16 quarterfinal victory against the Walnut Grove Gators. The Condor’s way of operating? Forty minutes of tough defence and running in transition for fast-break buckets off of stops.
The Gators had seemed to find their ticket to success yesterday in feeding center Lyla McKay in the post after a 27-point performance against the Pitt Meadows Marauders.
When asked if his team had a special plan for the talented centre, Duchess Park head coach Reid Roberts said his team was aware of McKay’s ability but always prioritize their focus on playing their way.
“It’s more about us just playing our style of basketball. We knew that they had a big centre that we had to key on, so you know, if you get into a slow game in the half-court Now you got to play a lot more defence on her.”
The Condors didn’t allow the Gators to slow the game down and play a 2010’s Memphis Grizzlies ‘Grit and Grind’ style. Instead, the Condors Flew up and down the court in transition, playing with coach Robert’s preferred ‘Run and Gun’ mindset.
That mindset never left the Condors. Until the final whistle, they played all-out, racing up and down the court despite a big lead, something coach Roberts says is crucial in maintaining his team’s good habits.
“It’s huge. My commitment to the girls is that we establish that style in the first game and We just have to continue it all weekend,” he said.
“So you can’t take your foot off the gas and regardless of the score in a big tournament like this, you know you’re not trying to run up the score, but like you can’t all of a sudden, start walking the ball up and get out of our system, then we’re not improving.”
Zahra Ngabo was a force on both ends of the court for the Condors, finishing with a game-high 20 points. Ngabo showed incredible instinct at her own end of the floor, jumping in front of passes for steals and finding teammates the other way to start fast breaks.
Ngabo and Duchess Park will look to continue their high pace and level of play into the Select 16 finals when they take on the winner of the Vernon Panthers and South Delta Sun Devils on Friday.
VERNON 63 SOUTH DELTA 56
(STORY BY NICOLAS HAUKA, Special for Varsity Letters)
LANGLEY — The Vernon Panthers love playing the game of basketball. All game long, whether they’re down, in the lead or tied on the scoreboard, the smiles and laughter on their sideline is infectious. Not only are the Panthers having fun playing, but they just punched their ticket to the Tsumura Basketball Invitational Select 16 semi-finals with a 63-54 victory in a back-and-forth affair with the South Delta Sun Devils.
In a game that had multiple swings in momentum, it was crucial that Panthers head coach Dave Tetrault kept spirits high on the bench so his players didn’t get too low.
“I’m really trying to instill that this is fun. We should be joyous, and it’s like what a great game to play and be a part of,” he said postgame with a smile, of course.
The game didn’t look like it was going to go the Panther’s way multiple times throughout the night. The team battled back from an early 10-point deficit led by Page Leahy, who exploded for 11 points in the third quarter.
With both teams tied at 29 to start the third, the Panthers full-court press seemed to have finally worn down the Sun Devils. Vernon went on an 11-0 run to start the half before completely dictating the rest of the quarter, outscoring the Sun Devils 20-8 in the frame.
Tetrault wasn’t worried about his team’s early deficit. In fact, Vernon’s coach knows it’s just a matter of time before his squad begins to wear down opponents.
“We just wait. We’re going to pressure the whole game no matter what,” he said.
With the Panthers looking firmly in control in the fourth quarter and the Sun Devils seemingly about to break, Jade De Fondaumiere and Zoe Millette took over the game and had South Delta tied late in the game.
De Fondaumiere used her length to force turnovers in the Sun Devils zone defense and then would spring teammates in transition. When she wasn’t making outlet passes, she was finishing under the rim, finishing with 21 points.
Millette benefited from De Fondaumiere’s passes and created buckets herself in controlled sets, finishing with 12 second-half points of her own. The two forwards’ skills on both ends of the court put the Panthers in shock and looking for answers with their lead having evaporated.
Tetrault wasn’t phased. His positivity and confidence shined through when his players needed it most.
One of my kids turned to me and said, we’re gonna lose. And I’m like, no, no, we’re not, we’re gonna be just fine,” Tetrault recalled postgame.
When most teams would panic, there was a sense of calmness on the Panthers sideline you wouldn’t expect to see at the high school level. The team recollected themselves and continued to play their game.
A late three by Addie Janke put the Panthers up again before a Chole Collins dagger from behind the arc put away the game for good. The Panthers had adverted disaster again and punched their ticket to the semi-finals.
The Panthers will play the equally fast-paced Duchess Park Condors tomorrow to see who will make their way to the Select 16 Finals. Tetrault was elated with his team postgame and is ready to enjoy tomorrow’s matchup.
They’re learning to trust themselves. I’m so happy for the kids. They’re working really hard. We’re ready to play tomorrow and to have some more fun.”
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