The SAPEC Tier I junior high city basketball finals tip-off today at the SkyDome.
The girls’ final between the ESSMY Leopards (8-1) and Lorne Akins Gators (8-1) starts at 5 p.m. and the boys’ final between the Richard S. Fowler Falcons (9-0) and Lorne Akins (8-1) is 6:30 p.m.
Monday’s semifinals featured the top four teams in the girls and boys divisions.
The girls’ scores were 59-39 for ESSMY over the Morinville Lady Wolves (5-4) and 55-32 for Lorne Akins against the 2014 champion Vincent J. Maloney Marauders (6-3).
The boys’ results were 79-35 for Fowler over ESSMY (5-4) and 53-44 for Lorne Akins against the Sir George Simpson Voyageurs (6-3).
In league play, ESSMY beat the Lady Gators 51-43 and the Fowler boys defeated Lorne Akins 65-42.
The 3A Edmonton zone elimination tournament started Tuesday for the Sturgeon Spirits.
The lady Spirits hosted the Strathcona Christian Academy Eagles and the Sturgeon men, ranked ninth in 3A, visited the St. Joseph Saints. Scores were unavailable at press time.
Sturgeon was seeded fourth in the women’s draw and the fifth in the men’s draw.
The quarter-final winners in the men’s and women’s brackets advance to Thursday’s semifinals and the finals are Friday.
Three men’s teams earn provincial berths in Fort McMurray and two women’s teams qualify for provincials in Taber. Provincials start next Thursday.
The St. Albert Skyhawks, a 3A men’s honourable mention, are seeded sixth in the zone draw and their score Tuesday against Strathcona Christian was unavailable at press time.
Visit www.telusplanet.net/public/metroedm for the zone schedules and results.
The lady Spirits are coming off a 52-41 loss to the Archbishop MacDonald Marauders in the metro Edmonton division two final Friday at Jasper Place High School.
The Marauders led 12-6 after the first quarter, 31-16 at halftime and 41-33 after three quarters.
Jade Kugler scored 14 points and Kendra Fincaryk added 11 for the Spirits (8-3), who dropped a 68-52 decision to the Marauders (11-0) in pool B action.
The Morinville Lady Wolves are seeded first in the North Central 3A zone provincial qualification tournament this weekend in Athabasca.
The Wolves are 20-4 overall with nine returning players from last year’s zone championship team.
The Wolves are an honourable mention in the 3A provincial rankings.
