Two in a row
Head coach credits strong defence in Three Oaks repeating as Sweetheart champions
Garth Turtle calls it as good of a game as he has been involved with in a long time. The retired Three Oaks Senior High School athletic director, and current coach of the school’s Team One Axewomen, was referring to his squad’s 52-43 victory over Harrison Trimble in the championship match of the 36th annual Holland College Sweetheart basketball tournament.
“It was the best defence we have played all year, especially the last 10 minutes,” assessed Turtle. “We basically shut them down, and were able to score.”
It is also believed to be the first time a Three Oaks team has repeated as champions of the senior AAA Sweetheart tournament. Although the Axewomen led for most of the final, played at the Three Oaks Senior High School gymnasium in Summerside on Saturday afternoon, Turtle admitted it wasn’t easy. “Harrison Trimble played a zone defence, which we knew they were going to do, but they played it much better than we expected them to,” he said. “Our outside shooting, which normally is pretty consistent, wasn’t very good at the start of the game. We really had to work hard to stay ahead.”
Arsenault MVP
Nikki Arsenault, who was named the tournament most valuable player, scored a gamehigh 28 points to lead the Axewomen in the final. “Nikki was absolutely phenomenal,” said Turtle in describing the senior guard’s play. “She averaged 27 points in four tournament games.
“She played her heart out, she played under control, played great defence and scored big baskets when we needed them.”
Other leading point-getters for Three Oaks were Georgia Baker (11) and Kelsey MacKinnon (5).
Abby Carmichael (14), Brittany Perrault (8) and Erin Smith (6) were the top scorers for Harrison Trimble, which overcame a 10-point halftime deficit, 2414, to tie the game early in the second half.
The score remained close and was tied 40-40 late in the fourth quarter when Three Oaks, led by Baker’s back-to-back threepointers, pulled ahead en route to claiming their fourth tournament title of the 2016-17 season.
They also won the Bluefield, Tantramar and Amherst tournaments.