PICKING B.C. HIGH SCHOOLS' ALL-TIME, ALL-STAR TEAM
COVID-19 took away one high school girls basketball debate, but we're offering another
The various high school girls basketball provincial championship finals would have been Saturday at the Langley Events Centre.
COVID -19 has led to them being called off. Among other things, it's poked a hole in the debate about where the Semiahmoo Totems should rank in B.C. hoop history. They would be shooting for a third straight provincial title, and their second-in-a-row in newly formed Quad A. They would have entered this season on a 57-game win streak against B.C. competition.
We are here to offer up alternative discussion points instead. Former colleague Howard Tsumura — the dean of high school sports reporters in this province — and I have drafted 20-player alltime teams for girls basketball. It sounded like a fun idea when first broached. It was a much more difficult exercise than I expected. So feel free to disagree. I'm certainly conflicted about much of it:
ROUND 1
Team Ewen: Kim Smith, Heritage Park Highlanders (Triple A tournament MVP 2001, '02).
I was torn between Kim Smith and Bev Smith. I actually covered Kim in her high school career, which included leading Heritage Park to three straight titles (2000-02). That's at play for me. I also tried to make this a high school-specific draft and thought that Kim Smith was the best player on the best team in the best era in high school basketball in B.C. She went on to play her college ball at Utah, where she had her jersey retired, and then spent some time in the WNBA. She's been a mainstay with the Canadian team as well. Team Tsumura: Bev Smith, Salmon Arm Jewels (Triple A first team allstar 1976, '77, '78).
Howie is always a happy dude but he was downright giddy to pick Bev Smith, who went on to star at Oregon and with the Canadian team after Salmon Arm. Bev, we would be remiss not to mention, is a member of the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
ROUND 2
Team Ewen: Teresa Kleindienst, Hatzic Crusaders/heritage Park (Triple A first all-star 1996, '97).
A ball-handling wizard, Kleindienst had rivals in her Grade 12 year saying things like “she does whatever she wants on the court.” She moved on to Simon Fraser University and was also a longtime national-teamer after high school. Team Tsumura: Aislinn Konig, Brookswood Bobcats (Triple A MVP 2014, '15, '16).
Konig steered Brookswood to a three-peat before moving on to North Carolina State.” I have had some good ones but she is special,” Brookswood coach Neil Brown said after the 2016 title game. She's since moved on to play pro ball in Europe.
ROUND 3
Team Ewen: Nayo Raincock-ekunwe, Kalamalka Lakers (Double A MVP 2009).
She went to SFU after leading Kalamalka to the provincial crown and then moved on to the WNBA. She's sitting out this season from the New York Liberty to focus on the Tokyo Olympics, she told CBC in January.
Team Tsumura: Allison Mcneill, Salmon Arm Jewels (Triple A first all-star, 1977).
Mcneill's the coach of the aforementioned Semiahmoo side. She's best known for her time coaching at SFU. She was a force on the court in high school, teaming with Bev Smith and others to help Salmon Arm to four straight B.C. titles (1976-79).
ROUND 4
Team Ewen: Erica Mcguinness, Handsworth Royals (Triple A second all-star 2002, '03).
Smith could do it all, Kleindienst ran the point with few equals and I picked Raincock-ekunwe, which solved any rebounding questions for my team. I wanted a shooter to go with those talents and opted for Mcguinness, who was a constant
threat from the outside. She moved on to the University of B.C. Team Tsumura: Bev Bland, Richmond Colts (Triple A first all-star, 1970).
Richmond lost the provincial final that season to Claremont. Bland played at UBC and then the national team.
ROUND 5
Team Ewen: Amber Hall, Britannia Bruins (Double A MVP, 1994).
Hall averaged 25 points and 27 rebounds in her Grade 12 year. She wound up at Washington and was the school's all-time-leading rebounder when her eligibility was complete. She then became the first B.C. player to play in the WNBA when she landed with the Portland Fire in 2001-02.
Team Tsumura: Carol Turney, Chilliwack (Triple A first all-star, 1972, '73).
Like Bland, Turney went on to UBC and the national team following her high school time, highlighted by representing Canada at the 1976 Olympics.
ROUND 6
Team Ewen: Sarah Mckay, Stelly's Stingers (Triple A first all-star, 2003).
The 6-foot-7 Mckay averaged 26.5 rebounds per game in 2003, which was 71/2 more than the next best total. She went on to play at Indiana.
Team Tsumura: Ruth Hamblin, Houston Christian (Single A MVP, 2011, '12).
The 6-foot-6 Hamblin helped Houston Christian to back-toback B.C. titles and then went to Oregon State, where she wound up her career with back-to-back Pac-12 defensive player-of-theyear
honours. She's played in the WNBA and was playing pro in Russia when the pandemic took hold last season.
ROUND 7
Team Ewen: Carla Stone, Killarney Cougars (Triple A first all-star, 1989).
She finished third in scoring at the tournament on her way to playing at Depaul.
Team Tsumura: Michelle Hendry, Caledonia Kermodes (Triple A MVP, 1988).
Hendry is a familiar name in these parts as a centrepiece of the first SFU dynasty.
ROUND 8
Team Ewen: Breanne Watson, Mcmath Wildcats (Double A all-star, 2003).
She starred in volleyball and high jump, and played collegiately at Washington afterwards.
Team Tsumura: Erin Carson, Abbotsford Panthers (Triple A, first all-star 1983, '84).
Carson, who went on to play at Colorado, helped Abbotsford win the 1984 provincials, rallying from a six-point deficit in the final moments for a 47-45 win over Penticton.
ROUND 9
Team Ewen: Cheryl Kelsey, Killarney (Triple A first all-star, 1979, '80).
Kelsey led her two tournaments in scoring, averaging 34.2 points and 39 points, respectively. Team Tsumura: Taya Hanson, Kelowna Owls (Triple A MVP, 2018).
Hanson helped drive Kelowna to the title, coming back for her Grade 12 year from an Ontario academy. She's in her junior season at Arizona State.
ROUND 10
Team Ewen: Erin Gibbons, Salmon Arm Jewels (Triple A MVP, 1998).
Salmon Arm's 82-80 overtime win over Mt. Douglas in the provincial final was one of the most entertaining sporting events — any sport — I've ever witnessed and Gibbons went off for 42 points that night.
Team Tsumura: Erin Chambers, Heritage Park (Triple A second all-star 2011).
Chambers played five years of senior high ball at Heritage Park before moving on to SFU.
ROUND 11
Team Ewen: Megan Magee, Windsor Dukes (Triple A first team allstar 1989, '90).
She helped power Windsor to back-to-back wins before playing university at Arizona. Before Semiahmoo beat the Terry Fox Ravens 114-62 in the Quad A championship last March, the most lopsided provincial championship game at the top tier in B.C. was Windsor's 91-53 romp over Mount Baker in 1990.
Team Tsumura: Louise Forsyth, Brookswood Bobcats (Triple A first all-star 2016, '17).
Currently in her senior season at Gonzaga, Forsyth was a five-year player at Brookswood and part of three championship teams.
ROUND 12
Team Ewen: Christine Rigby, Spectrum (Triple A MVP, 1995).
The 6-foot-6 Rigby went on to play at both Uconn and Santa Clara.
Team Tsumura: Tavia Rowell, Walnut Grove Gators (Triple A first team all-star, 2018, '19).
She's in her sophomore season at Grand Canyon after helping Walnut Grove to back-to-back second place finishes.
ROUND 13
Team Ewen: Lani Gibbons, Salmon Arm (Triple A first team all-star 2002, '03).
Gibbons, who went on to SFU, led the tournament in assists in 2003 (nine per game) and 2002 (seven per game).
Team Tsumura: Emma Wolfram, South Kamloops Titans (Triple A MVP 2011, '12).
Wolfram also copped three tournament defensive player-of-theyear honours en route to helping South Kamloops to back-to-back titles. Her university ball was played at Gonzaga.
ROUND 14
Team Ewen: Camille Thompson, Salmon Arm (Triple A MVP, 1989).
Thompson, who went on to play at Washington State, had an eye-popping 52 points in an 88-72 quarterfinal win over Killarney. Team Tsumura: Kris Young, Handsworth (Triple A MVP, 2010).
She had 25 points and 13 boards in a 60-51 win over Oak Bay in the title game. She moved on to UBC.
ROUND 15
Team Ewen: Dani Langford, Heritage Park (Triple A MVP, 2000).
Langford brought leadership running the point for what was then largely a young Heritage Park team. She played her university ball at SFU.
Team Tsumura: Diana Lee, Handsworth (Triple A MVP, 2009).
Lee and Young were one of the better one-two tandems we've seen in recent years. Lee went to Boise State initially before transferring to UBC, reuniting with Young in the process.
ROUND 16
Team Ewen: Susie Jarosch, Windsor (Triple A MVP, 1990).
Jarosch, who moved on to Washington State, and Magee helped Windsor to one of the most dominant seasons ever, going 44-0. Team Tsumura: Ashley Burke, Argyle Pipers (Triple A first all-star 2000, '01).
Burke was capable of filling up a stat sheet. For instance, she had 17 points, 11 boards, nine assists and six steals in an 82-50 win over Prince George in the 2001 first round. She played collegiately at Gonzaga.
ROUND 17
Team Ewen: Lisa Tindle, York House Tigers (Double A MVP 2003, '04, '05).
She went to SFU, following Langford and then Lani Gibbons at point guard there.
Team Tsumura: Leanne Evans, Port Moody Blues (Triple A first all-star, 2004).
Evans, who moved on to UBC, was also defensive player of that tournament.
ROUND 18 Team Ewen:
Lindsay Brooke, Spectrum (Triple A first all-star 1994, '95).
Brooke moved on to the University of Victoria for university basketball. Like several players on this list, she was a small, crafty point guard.
Team Tsumura: Tara Wallack, Semiahmoo (Quad A MVP, 2020).
Wallack is slated to join Washington State next season.
ROUND 19
Team Ewen: Deja Lee, Semiahmoo (Triple A MVP, 2019, Quad A first all-star, 2020).
Lee has committed to University of California Irvine for next season.
Team Tsumura: Kelsey Adrian, Brookswood (Triple A MVP, 2006).
Adrian was part of three straight titles with Brookswood. Her post-secondary included stints with both Cal and UC Santa Barbara.
ROUND 20
Team Ewen: Izzy Forsyth, Semiahmoo (Triple A first all-star 2018, '19; Quad A first all-star 2020).
Forsyth is slated to attend UC San Diego, which rivals include Lee's UC Irvine.
Team Tsumura: Susan Ewanick, Nechako Valley (Single A MVP, 1982, '83).
She went on to play at SFU. She's been credited with scoring 5,120 points over her five-year high school career (1980-84).