Junior girls post 3 straight hoops wins

The Pen-Hi Lakers swept three straight exhibition games to open the junior girls high school basketball season at McMath Secondary School in Richmond on the weekend.

Bus legs weren’t a problem in the opener for the Lakers in a 47-36 win over Lord Byng on Friday night.

Jennifer Hayman (nine points, four rebounds) Kayley Davies (seven points, three steals), Kali Loewen (six points, five rebounds) and Emma Terris (five points, three steals) led the way as the Lakers were ahead 34-4 into the second quarter.

“We couldn’t have been happier with the start after a long drive to the Coast. The girls had great intensity and energy,” said head coach Chris Terris.

Pen-Hi 56, McMath 50: Hayman logged 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals and was 10-for-12 from the free-throw line as the Lakers went on a 14-3 run to finish the game and overcome a six-point deficit.

Loewen (14 points, six rebounds), Davies (11 points), Olivia Devito (six points, four steals) and Terris (four points, four steals) also had big games.

“McMath will be one of the teams in the mix provincially, so we were very happy to be able to execute down the stretch. The girls dug in defensively and Jennifer hit some clutch free throws down the stretch,” said Terris.

“Jennifer and Kali are tough matchups for teams as they are both capable of scoring inside and from the perimeter.”

Pen-Hi 60, Riverside 31: Loewen led a balanced attack with 10 points along with three boards and three steals as the Lakers thumped Riverside.

Other key contributors included Loewen (10 points, three rebounds, three steals), Tegan Elder (nine points, seven rebounds), Davies (nine points, six steals), Kalli Doell (eight points, four rebounds), Mckenna Clarke (seven points, three assists) and Rylee McDonald (four points, three rebounds).

“We got contributions from all 11 girls during the weekend,” said Terris. “Tegan Elder and Ella Simmons didn’t play last year, but they’re both going to add another dimension to this group. Ella brings great energy and athleticism, and Tegan can provide us with some interior depth, which we really need to compete with some of the bigger teams in the province.”