In the opening round (names and tallies are somewhat approximate as scoresheets are periodically illegible), held in Langley: …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Victoria St. Michael’s Blue Jaguars torched the 16th-seeded Vernon W.L. Seaton Sonics 80-36 after leading 29-5, 39-15 and 62-23 at the quarters. Blue Jags forward Makena Anderson told Varsity Letters that the team was motivated by four-point loss in the Grade 9 B.C. in 2019 and a 56-55 loss to Langley Christian in the 2022 Double-A semifinals. “I think that we learned a lot from both losses and honestly it made us closer. We’re all working together for one goal. It’s been four years working towards it. We don’t want to feel that again.” Makena Anderson paced the Blue Jaguars with 17. Avery Geddes added 11, Alex Motherwell 10, Madeleina Albert 9, Chioma Duru 8, Sophie Olcen 7, Skye Farish 6, Olivia Vincent 6, Amanda Adams 4 and Katie Maybie 2, while Brianne McLeish was scoreless. Evelie Colclough scored 17 to pace the Sonics (coach Chris Colclough, coach Connie King). Naomi King added 7, Aleeya Ouch 3, Mya Koleba 3, Mia Larose 2, Aimee Glasser 2 and Emery Britton 2, while Alanna Wellington, Amelia Tapia and Eisha Erickson were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded South Kamloops Titans dispatched the 13th-seeded Surrey Clayton Heights Night Riders 60-46 after leading 20-8, 29-21 and 43-28 at the quarters. “Our team is definitely a defensive team,” guard Kylee Koppes told Varsity Letters. “We know that we need to work hard to get stops, because whether our offence is going or not, we know we can always count on our defence.” Lucy Marchese paced the Titans with 20. Francesca Faraone added 13, Kylee Koppes 10, Ashlee Weir 6, Kiana Kaczur 6 and Grace McDonald 5, while Ashtynn Guernsey, Nicola Underwood, Alyssa Robinson, Feron Wallace, Kali McDermott, Sydney Fraser, Caitlyn Lloyd and Georgia Conner were scoreless. Emma Yarwood scored 19 to lead the Night Riders (coach James Johnston). Hailey Burnham added 15, Sydney Chiasson 6, Melanie Kardos-Mitchell 2, Hannah Gebert 2 and Noran Burnham 2, while Samina Alladin, Grace Stewart, Cleina Marquez, Eva Choquette, Inder Cheema, Emily Mechan and Kylie O’Donnell were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 8th-seeded Vancouver Little Flower Academy Angels nipped the 9th-seeded Maple Ridge Ramblers 49-46 on a late trey by guard Bella Heffring that capped a comeback from an eight-point, fourth-quarter deficit with an 11-0 run. The Ramblers led 14-12, 27-25 and 41-38 at the quarters. “I was really nervous, I know that,” Heffring told Varsity Letters. “So this time, I thought ‘I have to make this’. I thought of my team and all of the work that we have put in and just did it.” Isabella Heffring paced the Angels with 31. Kylie Tsui added 10, Marina Bartolic 6 and Georgia Rain-Shaw 2, while Celeste Chan, Maria Drazenovic, Joanna Fitch, Shannon Stelling, Clara Juca, Kate Randall, Isabella Clark, Iris Velazquez and Aynslie Burns were scoreless. Kayleigh Mark scored 19 to pace the Ramblers (coach Jason Hampton). Ambrose Haintz added 14, Zayda Joseph 5, Kimberley Snow 4, Jenna Hampton 2, Riyan Blin 1 and Mary Ryder 1, while Kate Jordison, Kylie Swanchuk, Sheridan Snow, Claire Catherwood, Allie Turnbull and Elsie Dobie were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Clearbrook Mennonite Educational Institute Eagles clocked the 12th-seeded Vernon Panthers 51-31 after leading 11-6, 24-14 and 36-26 at the quarters. Bree Neufeld, who notched six treys in the rout, told Varsity Letters that “last year our scoring was really spread out but this year we have all had to step up because we lost so many seniors. So I worked hard because I really wanted to be that kind of a leader on our team. … I have worked on my shooting every day and I wanted to show that I could do that here today because… I mean the last time I was on this court (against Richmond R.A. McMath in the 2022 Triple-A final) we lost… I had to take the ‘W’ this time.” Bree Neufeld paced the Eagles with 35 (also reported as 33). Jayleigh Duncan added 7 (also reported as 8), Ava Driedger 5 and Kallie Strachan 4, while Gabbi Chan, Aileen Cheema, Jasleen Grewal, Faith Owen, Megan Bosch, Ella Tatlock and Marissa Bitter were scoreless. Maddy Hackman scored 11 to pace the Panthers (coach Chad Butler, coach Dave Tetreault). Lauren Hoard added 8, Braxton Penner 6, Beth Butler 2, Amy Curtis 2, Mercedes West 1 and Dennica Paull 1, while Laura Dolling, Danika Zaino and Jessica Bond were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Kamloops Sa-Hali Sabres stomped the 11th-seeded Abbotsford Robert Bateman Timberwolves 74-45 after leading 17-9, 34-19 and 50-30 at the quarters. The Sabres took command with a 17-2 run in the second quarter. Sabres coach Jody Vosper told Varsity Letters that “last year we thought we were pretty close and this year, we thought we were within the top four all year. This year we had a tough loss to MEI in their tournament and we beat South Kam and then lost to them. You know, we’ve had four or five players get over 20 in a game for us, so if they shut one down, we do have others that can step up.” Kalie Saari paced the Sabres with 25. Temi Aina added 10, Nevena Nogic 11, Iyin Aina 10, Kirsten Conroy 3, Caitlyn Campbell 3 and Isabel Phillips 2, while Olivia Teale, Mairyn Acuna-Gray, Kate Streek, Zoe Lonquist, Jadyn Walker, Makenna Boice, Halle Tiessen (who did not play because of a sprained ankle) and Sarah Zabloski were scoreless. Brie Izbicki paced the Timberwolves with 17. Erin Misura added 15, Audrey Timmermans 6, Lanae Davenport 3, Ana Lint 2 and Gia Padwall 2, while Eshraa Gill, Vicky Kim, Annie Davenport, Sahejpreet Hundal, Amy Kim, Julia Colbert, Ariana Gill Requena and Savannah Hayes were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 10th-seeded North Vancouver Argyle Pipers clubbed the 7th-seeded Prince George College Heights Cougars 72-55 after leading 14-11, 27-17 and 57-34 at the quarters. The Pipers took command with a 9-0 run to opened the second half. Pipers coach Anthony Beyrouti told Varsity Letters that at half, “we just said that if we focus on our defence and executing our strategy of contesting shots and being willing to put our bodies on the line and take a charge, it’ll set the tone for the whole group. It did and was it fun to watch. … Good defence leads to easy offence. We played fundamental defence, we locked them up and then we went and got some buckets. It was great to watch.” Beyrouti added that guard Reese Tam “is a lightning bolt. She gets our energy going defensively, she gets our talk going, she is a great student in classroom and a great person off the court. So she has the triple-threat there and it’s been awesome to watch her play this year.” Reese Tam paced the Pipers with 22. Nathalie Francis added 14, Broeli Adrian 13, Ayesha Fraser 8, Marley Ivany 6, Camryn Pedley 5, Alanna Schieman 2 and Alex Danks 2, while Samantha Mulligan, Grace Howard, Sara Tancon and Bianca Waine were scoreless. Rachel Loukes scored 25 to pace the Cougars (coach Wade Loukes, assistant Candace Yu, assistant Hannah Loukes). Lorenn Caceres added 14, Rebecca Fuentes 6, Haley Strand 4, Kaysa Silver 2, Mary Haley 2 and Olivia Vigue 2, while Summer Toor, Reese Wiseman, Kayleigh Kennedy, Gia Ghuman and Temi Bankole were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Abbotsford Senior Panthers mauled the 15th-seeded Courtenay Mark R. Isfeld Ice 81-28 after leading 24-6, 48-8 and 71-15 at the quarters. Panthers coach Prentice Lenz told Varsity Letters that his team became more “multi-faceted” as the season wore on. “We started to get a lot more out of Nyah (Vermeulen), we got a lot more out of Naomi (Unger), Chelsey (Dulku) started to blossom and we became way more multi-faceted. I think down the stretch, we ended up beating Yale and having a lot of other great games because people could do different things. … The girls have really bought into it and improved along the way.” Malia Lenz paced the Panthers with 24. Nyah Vermeulen added 15, Sorell Lenz 11, Eve MacInnes 11, Chelsey Dulku 10, Naomi Unger 6, Gabrielle Ciochetti 2 and Jaya Sidhu 2, while Ruby Krahn and Ameera Brar were scoreless. Adria Russell scored 8 to lead the Ice (coach C Follis?, coach C Tinga). Mikayla Volkers added 4, Raina Hagel 4, Caitlin Follis 3, Arisa Hagihera 3, Sarah Banks 3 and Sage Kotapski-Tinga 3, while Haruka Suzuki and Shayla Stigant were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Richmond Robert A. McMath Wildcats spanked the 14th-seeded Vancouver John Oliver Jokers 82-51 after leading 30-17, 46-26 and 62-47 at the quarters. Wildcats guard Caitlin Kippan told Varsity Letters that “every team in this tournament is tough and I think it comes down to the team that has the most mental toughness. At this point, it’s what’s going on in your mind, and is about who wants it the most. The three seniors on this team, we have higher expectations for us and we want to keep doing the best we can … and we’ll see who wins.” Caitlin Kippan paced the Wildcats with 25, including eight treys. Arizona State-bound Marina Radocaj added 21, Aaria Johal 15, Mirella Fernandes Boshell 11, Sarah Carkner 4, Aleah Kippan 3 and Tiana Maedel 3, while Emi Nishi, Elia Cajigas, Yung Harada, Kaila Kusec, Daisy Mavis, Susu Zhang and Amelia Spiteri were scoreless. Queenie Salazar paced the Jokers with 15. Rachael Forrester added 14, Donna Pimentel 10, Simran Dhaliwal 6 and Talia Smith 6, while Maddox Domingo, Lannah Domingo, Sophia Cordova, Jashan Dhaliwal, Alyessa DeLeon, Alondra Arais Morales, Elaine Ayeona, K.C. Domingo, Amanjot Mander and Janene Acena were scoreless.
In the quarterfinals, the 4th-seeded South Kamloops Titans whipped the 5th-seeded Clearbrook Mennonite Educational Institute Eagles 67-36 after leading 20-12, 38-21 and 59-26 at the quarters. The undersized Titans, led by 5-10 post Grace McDonald used 21-0 and 16-0 runs to spank the Eagles. Titans coach Del Komarniski told Varsity Letters that said McDonald is “a well-rounded basketball player for sure. She’s not limited. We list her as our centre, but she’s just a basketball player. She’s long, she gets after it an she had good instincts. She’s tenacious and she does a lot for us.” Komarniski said the Eagles “came out playing hard. Felt like we were back on our heels a little bit. But we managed to get our foot in and kept them in front of us. I thought we did a really good job. … They understand what we’re trying to accomplish, understand how to support each other off the ball, understand their roles and help (defence). The fundamentals are strong. With this group from top to bottom they’re interested in playing defence. They take pride in that and you can’t say that with a lot of groups.” Eagles coach Rick Thiessen said the Titan’s “offensive rebounding was outstanding. That’s what really hurt us. They just pursued everything around the hoop and that’s where we got a lot of our fouls.” Lucy Marchese paced the Titans with 21. Grace McDonald added 18, Ashlee Weir 10, Kiana Kaczur 10, Feron Wallace 6 and Ashtynn Guernsey 2, while Nicola Underwood, Alyssa Robinson, Kylee Koppes, Kali McDermott, Sydney Fraser, Caitlyn Lloyd, Francesa Faraone and Georgia Conner were scoreless. Bree Neufeld scored 14 to pace the Eagles (coach Rick Thiessen, assistant Debbie Peters). Jasleen Grewal added 8, Ella Tatlock 7, Ava Driedger 4, Aileen Cheema 1, Megan Bosch 1 and Marissa Bitter 1, while Gabbi Chan, Faith Owen, Jayleigh Duncan and Kallie Strachan were scoreless.
The 3rd-seeded Richmond Robert A. McMath Wildcats clipped the 6th-seeded Kamloops Sa-Hali Sabres 48-36 after leading 14-6, 29-12 and 39-25 at the quarters. Wildcats coach Jamie Kippan told Varsity Letters that was a grind-it-out, ugly win. “We just had trouble getting the ball in the hoop today. … We were pretty cold today. That certainly wasn’t our best game, but credit to Sa-Hali. They were making it hard.” Kippan said a trey by Aaria Johal in the fourth quarter as the shot clock expired “was a big hoop for us. And that came after, finally, a full, good offensive possession for us where we ran the play properly. We got rewarded for running it by hitting that shot.” Sabres coach Jody Vosper said “I thought our defence was solid, but we just didn’t have the ball drop for us. I don’t know if we made an outside shot all game. When you don’t hit any (three pointers) against a good team, it’s tough to win.” Marina Radocaj paced the Wildcats with 22. Mirella Fernandes Boshell added 7, Caitlin Kippan 6, Aaria Johal 6, Tiana Maedel 5 and Sarah Carkner 2, while Aleah Kippan, Emi Nishi, Elia Cajigas, Yung Harada, Kaila Kusec, Daisy Mavis, Susu Zhang and Amelia Spiteri were scoreless. Temi Aina paced the Sabes with 11. Nevena Nogic added 10, Kalie Saari 9 and Iyin Aina 6, while Kirsten Conroy, Olivia Teale, Mairyn Acuna-Gray, Kate Streek, Zoe Lonquist, Jadyn Walker, Makenna Boice, Halle Tiessen, Caitlyn Campbell, Sarah Zabloski and Isabel Phillips were scoreless.
The 2nd-seeded Abbotsford Senior Panthers dusted the 10th-seeded North Vancouver Argyle Pipers 79-54 after leading 18-16, 38-33 and 60-40 at the quarters. The Panthers took command with a 17-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters as their posts took command of the paint. Panthers coach Prentice Lenz told Varsity Letters that “it was amazing. Nyah (Vandermuelen, a six-foot-two forward) was phenomenal in that stretch. Maybe she might have missed one, but it didn’t feel like she missed any of those. She was able to finish in tough. And when she didn’t, Naomi (Unger, a six-foot-four centre) was able to clean up the glass and hit a couple there. They were a massive difference in this game. And at the other end of the floor, too, in keeping second-chance points off in that run as well. They played awesome.” The experience of grade 12 Panthers “helped us in this game,” he added. “We didn’t get flustered. There was going to be resistance, people are going to keep coming at you, but I thought they showed some great maturity.” Nyah Vermeulen paced the Panthers with 26. Malia Lenz added 25, Naomi Unger 10, Chelsey Dulku 9, Gabrielle Ciochetti 3, Ameera Brar 3 and Sorell Lenz 3, while Ruby Krahn, Eve MacInnes and Jaya Sidhu were scoreless. Reese Tam paced the Pipers with 20. Nathalie Francis added 12, Broeli Adrian 9, Alanna Schieman 6, Ayesha Fraser 5 and Sara Tancon 2, while Marley Ivany, Camryn Pedley, Samantha Mulligan, Grace Howard, Bianca Waine and Alex Danks were scoreless.
In the last quarterfinal, the top-seeded Victoria St. Michael’s Blue Jaguars torched the 8th-seeded Vancouver Little Flower Academy Angels 68-35 after leading 18-6, 43-13 and 54-26 at the quarters. Blue Jags coach Lindsay Brooke told Varsity Letters that “we started well, got our press going and caused lots of turnovers.” Makena Anderson paced the Blue Jaguars with 22. Alex Motherwell added 9, Chioma Duru 7, Madeleina Albert 6, Avery Geddes 6, Amanda Adams 5, Olivia Vincent 5, Katie Maybie 4, Skye Farish 2 and Sophie Olcen 2, while Brianne McLeish was scoreless. Isabella Heffring scored 13 to pace the Angels (coach Chris Ramirez). Georgia Rain-Shaw added 5, Marina Bartolic 5, Rylie Tsui 4, Maria Drazenovic 2, Shannon Stelling 2, Isabella Clark 2 and Bea Williscroft 2, while Celeste Chau (Chan?), Joanna Fitch, Clara Juca, Farrugia, Kate Randall, Iris Velazuez and Aynslie Burns were scoreless.
In the semis, the top-seeded Victoria St. Michael’s Blue Jaguars dispatched the 4th-seeded South Kamloops Titans 43-32 after leading 10-5, 19-9 and 29-20 at the quarters. Both squads shot poorly in the tight, defensive affair. Blue Jaguars coach Lindsay Brooke told Varsity Letters that “both teams played very good defence.” The Blue Jaguars full-court pressure forced 26 turnovers; “that was our game plan, we were going to play full court for 40 minutes. I was just really proud of our defence.” Avery Geddes scored six, including an and-one and a trey, during a 14-0 run bridging the final quarters that proved decisive. “It seems like we’ve working for this for so long,” said Geddes. “It’s been a difficult season and we’re just so excited.” Makena Anderson paced the Blue Jaguars with 16. Avery Geddes added 10, Alex Motherwell 7, Amanda Adams 5, Sophie Olcen 3 and Maddy Albert 2, while Skye Farish, Olivia Vincent, Brianne McLeish, Katie Maybie and Chioma Duru were scoreless. Kiana Kaczur paced the Titans with 13. Lucy Marchese added 8, Grace McDonald 6, Kylee Koppes 3 and Francesca Faraone 2, while Ashlee Weir, Ashtynn Guernsey, Nicola Underwood, Alyssa Robinson, Feron Wallace, Kali McDermott, Sydney Fraser, Caitlyn Lloyd and Georgia Conner were scoreless.
In the other semi, the 2nd-seeded Abbotsford Senior Panthers defeated the 3rd-seeded Richmond Robert A. McMath Wildcats 75-67. The Wildcats led 14-12 after one quarter. The Panthers led 30-27 at the half and 53-43 after three quarters. Malia Lenz repeatedly broke down the Wildcats defence with aggressive drives to the bucket, drawing fouls and draining free throws, including 7-8 after the Wildcats had trimmed the margin to 3 from 14 down the stretch. “It was really exciting,” Lenz told Varsity Letters. “In Grade 9, I was in the provincial finals and I just felt like being able to do that again, with this different team, just playing for them, working together. It just brought out something else in me.” Panthers coach Prentice Lenz said “our inside game was huge. Massive on both ends of the floor. … We knew that they were going to come after us. With players that good, they’re not going to give it up. They’re going to go right to the end. They had that run and we were fortunate enough to withstand it and hit a few buckets of our own and we were OK.” Wildcats coach Jamie Kippan said “we gave them everything we could, but that’s a pretty solid team. They got some size, they got a guard (Lenz) who can do just about everything. We were just a little bit short today.” Malia Lenz paced the Panthers with 26, along with 10 boards. Nyah Vermeulen added 22, along with 11 boards, Naomi Unger 11, along with 12 boards, Chelsey Dulku 9 and Sorell Lenz 7, while Ruby Krahn, Gabrielle Ciochetti, Eve MacInnes and Jaya Sidhu were scoreless. Marina Radocaj paced the Wildcats with 26. Caitlin Kippan added 12, Aaria Johal 11, Tiana Maedel 10 and Mirella Fernandes Boshell 8, while Aleah Kippan, Emi Nishi, Elia Cajigas, Yung Harada, Kaila Kusec, Daisy Mavis, Susu Zhang, Sarah Carkner and Amelia Spiteri were scoreless.
In the bronze medal match, the 4th-seeded South Kamloops Titans clubbed the 3rd-seeded Richmond Robert A. McMath Wildcats 73-52 after leading 22-12, 37-24 and 54-40 at the quarters. Kiana Kaczur paced the Titans with 23. Grace McDonald added 22, Ashlee Weir 10, Lucy Marchese 9, Kylee Koppes 3, Feron Wallace 3 and Francesca Faraone 3, while Ashtynn Guernsey, Nicola Underwood, Alyssa Robinson, Kali McDermott, Sydney Fraser, Caitlyn Lloyd and Georgia Conner were scoreless. Marina Radocaj scored 20 to lead the Wildcats (coach Jamie Kippan). Caitlyn Kippan added 16, Aaria Johal 7, and Mirella Fernades Boshell 5, while Tiana Maedel, Sarah Carkner, Aleah Kippan, Emi Nishi, Elia Cajigas, Yung Harada, Kaila Kusec, Daisy Mavis, Susu Zhang and Amelia Spiteri were scoreless.
In the final, the 2nd-seeded Abbotsford Senior Panthers nipped the top-seeded Victoria St. Michael’s Blue Jaguars 67-64 to capture their second title in three campaigns. The Panthers led 14-13 after one quarter and 32-26 at the half. The score was knotted at 46 after three quarters. The Panthers trailed by five with 7:18 to play but promptly ripped off a 12-0 run, including a putback and-one by Naomi Unger. Panthers coach Prentice Lenz told Varsity Letters that his troops “didn’t panic, the maturity was there again. And (centre) Naomi (Unger) gets an (offensive rebound putback) and one (with two minutes remaining) and hits the free throw. That’s incredible. Are you kidding me!” Lenz said that daughter Malia’s experience while playing on Abbotsford’s title team in 2020, while in grade 9, also proved invaluable. “You can’t replace that (experience). The only to not only be here, but to win in that scenario really helps gain maturity.” Lenz added that “I think the difference was our big girls inside. We were able to clear the boards on that side of the floor and were able to get putbacks and Naomi’s (Unger) putback in the end was huge.” Malia Lenz, who repeatedly drove for acrobatic layups, said “you kind of have to feel like that. Even if there’s contact, I’ve got to finish.” Lenz added that “it’s kind of cool … to follow in her (sister Marin in 2020) footsteps. It’s like a roller-coaster of emotions. … “I’m so excited. It’s unreal. You play the whole entire year just to get to this point and it’s here. We did it!” Panther forward Nyah Vermuelen was crediting with a stellar defensive effort on Blue Jaguars top scorer Makena Anderson. Vermeulen said Anderson “was one of their big shooters and and she kept getting free (in the first half), so I was like I’ve got to deny her the ball. She was trying to get away from me and I was like ‘No, that’s not happening today’.” Player of the game Malia Lenz paced the Panthers with 41. Nyah Vermeulen added 8, Chelsea Dulku 7, Naomi Unger 6, Sorell Lenz 3 and Eve McInnes 2, while Ruby Krahn, Gabrielle Ciochetti, Ameera Brar and Jaya Sidhu were scoreless. Makena Anderson paced the Blue Jaguars with 19. Defensive player of the tournament Alex Motherwell added 17, Avery Geddes 14, Maddy Albert 6, Chioma Dur 6 and Sophie Olcen 2, while Skye Farish, Amanda Adams, Olivia Vincent, Brianne McLeish and Katie Maybie were scoreless.
The all-tournament team featured MVP Malia Lenz (Abbotsford Senior); Makena Anderson (St. Michael’s); Alex Motherwell (St. Michael’s); Nyah Vermeulen (Abbotsford Senior); Marina Radocaj (R.A. McMath); and Lucy Marchese (South Kamloops).
The 2nd team featured: Bree Neufeld (M.E.I.); Caitlin Kippan (R.A. McMath); Rachel Loukes (College Heights); Nathalie Francis (Argyle); and Grace McDonald (South Kamloops).
The bronze medalist South Kamloops Titans: Kiana Kaczur; Lucy Marchese; Grace McDonald; Kylee Koppes; Francesca Faraone; Ashlee Weir; Ashtynn Guernsey; Nicola Underwood; Alyssa Robinson; Feron Wallace; Kali McDermott; Sydney Fraser; Caitlyn Lloyd; Georgia Conner;
The silver medalist Victoria St. Michael’s Blue Jaguars: Makena Anderson; Avery Geddes; Alex Motherwell; Amanda Adams; Sophie Olcen; Maddy Albert; Skye Farish; Olivia Vincent; Brianne McLeish; Katie Maybie; Chioma Duru; coach Lindsay Brooke; assistant Kate De Goede
The champion Abbotsford Senior Panthers: Malia Lenz; Nyah Vermeulen; Naomi Unger; Chelsey Dulku; Sorell Lenz; Ruby Krahn; Gabrielle Ciochetti; Eve MacInnes; Jaya Sidhu; coach Prentice Lenz