Champions aplenty

PEISAA senior A men’s and women’s basketball champs crowned

Eastern and central P.E.I. high schools were crowned champions at the recent Prince Edward Island School Athletic Association senior A basketball championships in Charlottetown.

In the women’s gold medal game, the Charlottetown Rural Two Raiders fought off a plucky Morell Marlins squad to earn a 44-35 win and the provincial title.

That after the Raiders watched a 34-16 third-quarter lead evaporate under the Marlins attack.

Rural’s Molly Birtwhistle led all scorers with 13 points, while Casey Currie chipped in 11 and Selina Majher added six.

The men’s game proved closer as the Montague Vikings led 59-53 lead over the Colonel Gray Two Colonels with two minutes to go and hung on with key rebounding for a 59-57 victory.

Montague had a 29-22 halftime edge, but things were tied 39-39 after three quarters.

Logan Fitzpatrick and Darian Rice each scored 13 points for the Vikings, while Sawyer Acorn had 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Jack MacKenzie added 11 points and swatted away six attempts.

Sal Farag (17 points), Josiah Wigmore (11) and Patrick Heffernan (eight) led the Gray attack.

Bronze

The Westlsie Wolverines missed a layup and two foul shots in last seven seconds and the Souris Spartans barely won the women’s bronze medal 3734.

Rae Matheson hit two fouls shots with 31 seconds to play to put the Spartans up 35-34. Lacey Conway hit one more free throw with 20 seconds remaining to make it 36-34.

Hayden Chaisson had 10 points for Westisle and Karlyn Shea chipped in nine.

Sarah MacDonald led Souris with 10. Lacy Conway added seven points and Katheryn McIntosh had six.

In the men’s bronze, Ecole Francois-Buote led 71-67 with two minutes to play and behind assists and hoops by Joseph Chevarie and Matthew Arsenault cruised to a 77-68 victory over Souris.

Chevarie went for a gamehigh 27 points, while Sam Carmody, Matthew Arsenault and Lucas Pollard contributed 19, 13 and eight points, respectively.

Isaac Chaisson recorded 24 points for the Spartans. Randy Antle followed that with 23.