The 16th win in 21 games for the St. Albert Skyhawks was Monday’s 80-69 score against the Harry Ainlay Titans in metro Edmonton division one women’s basketball.
Jamie Bain drained 18 points, Aphia Ward tossed in 17 and Sam Dargis added 15 at Harry Ainlay High School.
The Skyhawks improved to 6-1 in league play and Ainlay dropped to 2-5.
Tonight the Skyhawks host the O’Leary Spartans (0-6) at 6:30 p.m. at the SkyDome.
Last weekend, the Skyhawks finished third overall at the Bishop Grandin Ghosts Tournament in Calgary.
The Skyhawks blasted Rundle College, ranked No. 1 in 2A, 103-39 in the first game and in the semifinals fell 84-77 to the Ghosts.
Severe foul trouble early in the first half to Bain and Lauren Cardinal forced the starters to sit the rest of the half against the physical Ghosts. Shaky team shooting also played a role in the loss to the No. 9-ranked 4A Ghosts.
The Skyhawks, ranked fourth in 4A, rebounded to defeat the Raymond Comets 70-65 for third-place in the eight-team draw.
The game was knotted at 31 at halftime and after three quarters the Skyhawks trailed by two. The last 10 minutes featured multiple lead changes. After the Skyhawks went up by five, Raymond pulled even with two minutes left. Ward’s three-pointer put the Skyhawks on top by two, then hit one of two free throws to make it a three-point spread with 38 seconds remaining. Bain was then fouled and she buried both free throws to increase the lead to five with 15 seconds to go and the Skyhawks held on for the win.
Bain was named the player of the game against Raymond, a 4A honourable mention.
Dargis was selected to the all-hustle team and Ward received tournament all-star team honours.
The Paul Kane Blues kept pace with the top teams in metro Edmonton division one women’s basketball in Monday’s 69-48 victory over the visiting Bev Facey Falcons.
Strong efforts by captain Janelle Desharnais and Anika Steele propelled the Blues to their 15th win in 23 games.
The Blues, ranked 10th in 4A, are 6-1 in league play and tied for second place with the Spruce Grove Panthers (6-1), the two-time defending champions, and St. Albert Skyhawks (6-1). Facey, a 4A honourable mention, is 3-4.
Te Blues visit the Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds (1-5) tonight at 6:30 p.m.
The Blues and Skyhawks will pack the SkyDome Monday at 6:30 p.m.
Both teams are also entered in the Titans Tri-Prov Tournament next week at Harry Ainlay High School and are on the same side of the draw. The Blues play the Oak Park Raiders of Winnipeg Thursday at 9 a.m. and the Skyhawks, the defending champions, are up against the Duchess Park Condors of Prince George, B.C. The winners meet Fridday at 4 p.m. and the losing teams also square-off at 4 p.m.
Visit triprov.ainlay.ca for the schedule.
The Blues placed third out of six teams last weekend at the Sir Winston Churchill Tournament in Calgary.
The Blues knocked off the host Bulldogs 88-40, lost 66-59 to the Vincent Massey Trojans of Winnipeg, ranked sixth in Manitoba, and in the third-place game beat the William Aberhardt Orange 72-49.
Brit Mildenberger was the player of the game against the Orange and Desharnais was named a tournament all-star. Desharnais gave teams fits as a defensive stopper.
Desharnais, Mildenberger, Allison Hunder and Alesha Stanley were among the team’s top scorers in the tournament.
The Lorne Akins Gators pulled off a sweet three-peat at the Titans Tri-Prov Tournament.
The 2015 St. Albert Physical Education Council Tier I city girls division champions downed F.R. Haythorne of Sherwood Park 59-44 in the junior high final Saturday at Harry Ainlay High School.
The Gators held their ground against a pressing Haythorne side and after pulling away in the third quarter they protected the lead in the last 10 minutes.
Ella Stanley, a tournament all-star, was the top scorer with 21 points. Kaitlyn Kluttig, the tournament MVP, sank 18 points and Victoria Ivicak tacked up 10.
The Gators tipped off the tournament with an 84-40 win over Rundle College of Calgary. Kluttig, the player of the game, led the way with 25 points, followed by 16 for Stanley and 14 for Ivicak.
The semifinal against D.S. MacKenzie of Edmonton ended with the Gators on top 70-38. Stanley, the player of the game, poured in 27 points and Kluttig added 23.
The captains of the Gators selected Paisley Reschke as the team’s most improved player of the tournament.
The Gators are 14-0 overall, including three wins in league play, entering today’s contest against the ESSMY Leopards at Lorne Akins School. The rematch of last year’s SAPEC final starts at 5:30 p.m.
The final tournament of the season for the Gators is this weekend at Ross Sheppard High School.
Meanwhile, the Lorne Akins boys finished fourth at Tri-Prov.
The defending SAPEC champions defeated Avalon of Edmonton 61-55 before losing 87-58 to D.S. Mackenzie and 72-43 to Ottewell of Edmonton.
The draw has been finalized for the Skyhawks Invitational men’s tournament next weekend at St. Albert Catholic High School.
The Skyhawks, ranked sixth in 3A, will host the Strathcona Christian Academy Eagles (No. 1 in 3A; 4-4 in metro Edmonton division one), St. Peter the Apostle Spartans (No. 8 in 3A; 2-2 in metro division two pool B), Spruce Grove Panthers (2015 metro division two champions; 3-0 in pool B), Edmonton Christian Lions (1-3 in pool B), Archbishop Jordan Scots (1-3 in division two pool A), Sturgeon Spirits (1-4 in pool B) and West Central of Rocky Mountain House.
The first game for the Skyhawks is Friday versus West Central at 5:15 p.m.
The Skyhawks finished third at the Top of the Rock Tournament hosted by St. Peter the Apostle in Spruce Grove last weekend.
The Skyhawks beat Camrose in the opening game, lost to the Leduc Tigers (2-6 in division one) before defeating the Lions.
The Skyhawks were 8-5 overall, and 2-2 in division two pool B, before Tuesday’s home game against the Panthers. The score was unavailable at press time.
