Titans to defend B.C. title

The defending champs rolled into Langley around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, just under 24 hours away from beginning the quest for a repeat at the B.C. senior girls Triple A basketball championships.

“One of the things we have done is really maintain a high intensity in terms of practice,” South Kamloops Titans head coach Ken Olynyk said as his No. 1-ranked team took to the floor for a shootaround at the Langley Events Centre, the host site of the four-day, 16-team tournament.

“We have made sure to do a lot of things that require us to be mentally sharp the whole time.”

That, and having the chance to play their Okanagan rivals, the Kelowna Owls, three times over the past two weeks, is something Olynyk is confident will have his team ready to play when it opens at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday against Kootenays rep Mt. Baker of Cranbrook.

The Titans bus has given its odometer a real workout this season. This weekend’s foray marks its fourth trip south to the epicentre of the game, including two to Langley, one to Abbotsford and one to Mission.

A lot has happened in the five weeks since the Titans’ last southern road trip, including Maple Ridge (Fraser Valley) and Argyle (Lower Mainland), putting themselves, along with Hands worth and Brookswood, right in the thick of the title chase following conference championship wins.

“I think there are going to be opportunities to see great individual players like the girls at Handsworth (Elisa Homer, Abby Dixon), Kolbie (Orum) at Maple Ridge, who scored like 80-plus points in the semifinals and finals of the Fraser Valley, our Emma (Wolfram), who I think is one of Canada’s next great players, and Lauren (Year wood) from Oak Bay.”

South Kamloops’ 5-foot-11 Mieke DuMont is healthy following a nagging ankle injury suffered in January, and she is part of a big rotation that includes 5-foot-11 guard Maya Olynyk, 6-foot-2 forward Emily Vilac and the 6-foot-4, Gonzaga-bound post Wolfram.