MARAUDERS CLAIM TITLE
A.N. Myer edges Churchill to live up to No. 1 seeding; Grimsby tops DM to take B title
Julia Colavecchia of the A.N. Myer Marauders tries to get the ball through, left, Kaley DeMont and Allyson Sentance of the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs. The Marauders beat the Bulldogs 38-36 in the championship game of the Standard Girls Basketball Tournament at Governor Simcoe in St. Catharines Thursday.
The A.N. Myer Marauders entered the 18th Standard Girls Basketball Tournament Tuesday as the No. 1 seed with a target on their backs.
They left the high school showcase last night as the overall champions with a gold medal around their necks.
Tournament most valuable player Julia Colavecchia scored a gamehigh 17 points and fellow all-star Tori Rigas-DiMonenico 12 to help lead the Marauders to a 38-36 victory over the Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs.
The hard-fought win in last night’s championship final at Governor Simcoe econdary School gave Myer its third championship since the tournament’s inception in 1999 and the first since 2011.
Colavecchia, who plays travel ball on the Niagara JUEL ( junior elite) prep team, found herself on opposite ends of the court with two of her teammates on the club team, Ally Sentance and Katey DeMont, who scored six and five points, respectively, for the Bulldogs.
Colavecchia used knowledge of her JUEL teammates’ tendencies on the court to her advantage in the final.
“It helped me a lot,” she said. “I knew Katey was a shooter and that Ally was very good on defence.”
But whatever edge that gave Myer was nullified by club players on the Bulldogs knowing some of the strengths and weaknesses of the Marauders on travel teams.
“They knew like how some of my teammates played so that leveled it off a little,” Colavecchia, a Grade 10 student competed in the Standard Tournament for the first time, said.
Myer advanced to the final on the championship side of the bracket with a convincing win over the Thorold Golden Eagles, 61-13; in the qualifying round, dethroned the defending champions, Jean Vanier Lynx, 4837; and beat a crosstown rival, Saint Michael Mustangs, 64-51; for Niagara Falls bragging bragging rights as an added bonus.
Myer’s road to last night’s final at Governor Simcoe Secondary School was easy street compared to the route the Bulldogs had to take. Churchill, the consolation champion at last year’s tournament, withstood a challenge from the region’s newest high school team, Greater Fort Erie Gryphons, 53-50; downed the St. Francis Phoenix, 52-35; before coming back to edge the Blessed Trinity Thunder, 53-51, in a nailbiter.
Churchill had a chance to tie the game with 5.5 seconds remaining in regulation, but Myer regained possession and held on for the win.
“We drew up a play, we had a look, but the pass didn’t get there,” Bulldogs head coach Frank Keltos said. “We just couldn’t score.”
He was pleased with his young team’s play in the tournament.
“We made it to the finals, the girls played great,” Keltos said.
A.N. Myer girls basketball coach Katie Harpur
Myer head coach Katie Harpur said the strong showing in the Standard Tournament will help the Marauders going forward.
“It’s just incentive,” she said. “The girls know what they can do.”
The Marauders used their billing as the team to beat as motivation to, in the end, emerge as the team that couldn’t be beat.
“I think anyone with a No. 1 seed has a target, but the girls made it their mission they were just going come to every game and play hard,” Harpur said.
“Everybody wants to beat the No. 1 seed, so the girls just used it, and they used it to fuel themselves.
“They played hard, and they played every game until the end.”
Janee Harrison and Sentance also made the all-star team as did Paige Epp of the Grimsby Eagles, who won the consolation championship with a 51-24 victory over the Denis Morris Reds.
Eagles land in win column Once Paige Epp started to get out of her head, the ball started to swoosh through the net.
The Grimsby Eagles point guard was her team’s leading scorer for the three games heading into Friday night’s consolation final at the 18th Standard Girls Basketball Tournament, but only two points, both on free throws, as the Eagles trailed the Denis Morris Reds 5-4 after one quarter of play at Governor Simcoe Secondary School.
While that’s an impressive score in soccer, the sport that Paige is good enough at to earn a full-ride scholarship to Holy Cross University in Boston, in basketball not so much.
Epp was slightly better in the second quarter, nailing a three-pointer; in the third, with seven points; and on fire in last quarter, netting 15 points, all but three on three-pointers.
She scored 27 points in all to help lead the Eagles to a 51-24 victory.
The Grade 12 student attributed the strong finish to managing to replace doubts and negative thinking with confidence.
“My shots sucked and I was getting frustrated,” Epp said. “When I get frustrated, I don’t play well and I get into my own head.
“The coach just told us the baskets will come, just be patient.”
From her vantage point on the bench Eagles head coach Erika Smith could see what was happening on the court.
“I know my girls and know what they can do, so it was just words of encouragement when they came off,” she said. “There was no point in being frustrated with them, because they were doing everything they needed to do.
“The ball just wasn’t dropping.” “My words of encouragement were, ‘Just shoot more, just put it up the basket, our luck’s got to chance.’”
Epp’s reversal of fortune on the scoresheet proved to be contagious for the Eagles. Ilijana Vukovic, limited to four points in the first half, poured in 16 points after the break.
The Reds, in comparison, never were able to find their scoring touch. They were outscored 41-10 after leading 14-10 at half time.
Lexxus Bell, with seven; and Emily White, six; paced Denis Morris in points.
“It was a tough game,” Reds head coach Stefanie DIMIZIO said. “We had some positives, but turnovers and our passing was a big issue.
“Hopefully, this is something we learn from.”
Grimsby rebounded from a loss to the defending champion Jean Vanier Lynx in the qualifying round, 5647; by defeating the Thorold Golden Eagles, 65-45; and the E.L. Crossley Cyclone, 43-37.
Denis Morris’ road to final night of the four-day, 16-team tournament started with a loss to the St. Francis Phoenix, 53-35; followed by victories over the Greater Fort Erie Gryphons, 41-33; and the Holy Cross Raiders, 43-18.
Everybody wants to beat the No. 1 seed, so the girls just used it, and they used it to fuel themselves.”