Pen-Hi crowned Valley champs
Lakers beat rival Kelowna in final
It has been a long dry spell for the Pen-Hi Lakers junior girls’ basketball squad, but their name is back on the Okanagan Valley championship trophy.
Playoff MVP Maria Iannone collected 15 points — including four three-pointers — as the Lakers stunned the Kelowna Owls 57-53 in the championship game Saturday at Valleyview school in Kamloops.
It was the first Valley title for the Lakers since Stephane Delisle guided the junior girls to victory in 2005. Both Pen-Hi and Kelowna earned berths to the provincial championships Feb. 28 to March 3 at the Langley Event Centre.
Kayla Haukaas had 14 points, Jaden Yamamoto 13 and Sophie Brydon nine for the Lakers, who held on after building a nine-point halftime lead. Yamamoto was named to Valley the all-star team.
“I knew it was a tenuous lead as KSS has some athletes that can shoot and drive and love to compete,” said Lakers coach Lesley Lacroix.
KSS point guard Japleen Chahal led the second-half charge KSS narrowed the deficit to two points heading to the fourth quarter. Chahal would finish the game with 22 points and a tourney all-star award.
“The pace was frenetic as KSS chose to full-court press us all game, forcing us into a bit of a haphazard offence that at times looked as good as senior girls’ ball, and at times not so good,” said Lacroix.
“We managed to limit our turnovers, convert into lay-ups at the other end, and pull ahead in the last minute of the game to win and earn the No. 1 Okanagan berth into the Provincials. I couldn’t be more proud of this team.”
Lakers 52 Okanagan Mission (Kelowna) 51: Kate Glibbery hit a free throw with 1.9 seconds left as Pen-Hi stormed back from a four-point deficit in the last 39 seconds to nip OKM and earn a berth in the final.
Yamamoto, who had 18 points, took advantage of two turnovers, with her second basket a terrific running lay-up to tie the game with 10 seconds left.
The Lakers regained possession and Brydon drove hard through the lane and was fouled.
That foul caused Brydon to hit the floor and the end wall hard.
Glibbery came on to shoot the free throws with Brydon hurt. She missed the first but nailed the second and the Lakers were awarded possession because the foul was intentional to close out the thrilling win.
Julia Devito with 10 points earned player of the game honours, while Brydon and Iannone added nine points each.
Lakers 59 SaHali (Kamloops) 35: Haukaas did a great job limiting SaHali’s top scorer to two points while notching 10 herself to earn player of the game honours as the Lakers won the quarter-final.
The Lakers led 36-16 at halftime and never looked back. Iannone hit four threepointers and led all scorers with 14 points. Yamamoto added 12 and Brydon chipped in 11 points.
At the provincials, the Lakers have been seeded No. 7 and will play the winner of No. 10 Pacific Christian (Vancouver Island) and No. 23 Prince George Secondary in their first game. That result will determine the rest of the schedule.