Oak Bay, Brookswood to clash in girls’ hoops

Provincial champs to emerge from tourney in Langley

The B.C. Triple-A championships open today at the Langley Events Centre with a matchup between two teams who need little introduction when it comes to girls’ high school basketball.

Coach Rob Kinnear’s Island-champion Oak Bay Breakers, ranked No. 6, and perennial power Brookswood Bobcats of Langley, ranked No. 3, meet in the feature opening-round game at noon.

The Island runner-up Claremont Spartans meet the Riverside Rapids of Port Coquitlam at 3:30 p.m. Coach Darren Reisig’s Spartans feature six Grade 12 players — including stars Sierra Reisig, Maddie Manns and Chloe Scaber — who have come up together and hope to have career peaks when it counts most at provincials.

“I’m sure it will be emotional, but I told the players to focus on the task,” Reisig said. “And to focus on the opportunity and enjoy it.”

Riverside edged Claremont by four points in a meeting this season.

“It will be a good, even game,” Reisig said of the opener.

“We are not big, so we need to stay disciplined, shoot well and play defence as a team.”

The Kelowna Owls go into the Triple-A provincial tournament as the top seed.

Meanwhile, the St. Michaels University School Blue Jags open the B.C. girls’ Double A basketball championships today against St. Thomas Aquinas of North Vancouver at 5:15 p.m. The Mark Isfeld Ice of Courtenay meet the Britannia Bruins of Vancouver at 8:15 p.m.

Both the Triple-A and Double A tournaments continue through the week at LEC to the championship games on Saturday night.