Paul Kane Classic
The Paul Kane Blues and St. Albert Skyhawks are slotted on opposite sides of the draw at the Paul Kane Classic.The eight-team women’s basketball tournament starts 2 p.m. next Friday between Paul Kane, one of the top 4A teams in the province, and the Parkland Immanuel Penguins.
The Skyhawks play at 8 p.m. against the Medicine Hat Kwahommies.
The Chestermere Lakers, Spruce Grove Panthers, Centennial Coyotes of Calgary and Jasper Place Rebels are also entered.
Last month in three tournaments, Paul Kane played the Rebels twice in the finals and lost 73-65 at the 20th annual Mike Dea Classic at St. Francis Xavier High School and won 70-52 at the 36th annual REB Invitational at Jasper Place. The victory snapped a 45-game winning streak by the 2017 4A provincial gold medallists and two-time defending metro Edmonton division one champions and the last loss for the Rebels was the 2016 4A final.
The REB title was also the first in Paul Kane history as the second St. Albert team to accomplish the feat.
Paul Kane and the Rebels are 3-0 when league play resumes Monday as the Blues visit the Strathcona Lords (1-3) at 5 p.m.
The Skyhawks, last year’s 4A consolation champions, are also 3-0 and the team’s next game is Monday versus the St. Peter The Apostle Spartans (1-2) at 5:30 p.m. in Spruce Grove.
SAPEC hoops
The St. Albert Physical Education Council junior high basketball league tips off with Tuesday’s doubleheader between the Lorne Akins Gators and the host Morinville Wolves.The SAPEC league consists of nine boys’ and nine girls’ teams.
The defending Tier I city champions are the Richard S. Fowler Falcons for the girls and Lorne Akins for the boys.
Meanwhile, the Boston Pizza SAPEC tournament is Jan. 18 to 20 at the Lorne Akins, Fowler, Elmer S. Gish and Vincent J. Maloney schools.
The draw consists of 16 boys’ and 16 girls’ teams.
The 2017 winners were the VJM Marauders for the girls and St. Peter The Apostle for the boys.
Wolves at large
The Morinville Wolves make tracks into the new year after a howling performance at last month’s Green & Gold Classic at Louis St. Laurent High School.The men’s and women’s teams reached their respective finals against the Holy Rosary Raiders of Lloydminster and the lady Wolves were victorious 56-50.
Late in the second quarter, the Wolves pulled ahead to lead by seven at halftime.
The Raiders came out hard in the third quarter to jump head by one before the Wolves tightened up defensively to win their first tournament of the season.
The Wolves were also finalists at the Strathcona Christian Academy tournament.
Amy VanBrabant was the MVP at the Green & Gold while leading the Wolves with 36 points and 22 rebounds in three games.
The Wolves were successful in the tournament opener 68-44 against the host Louis St. Laurent Barons, 0-2 in the metro Edmonton division three league, and in the semifinals defeated the St. Joseph Ceinahs of Grande Prairie 51-43.
In the men’s draw, the Wolves knocked off a pair of metro league division three teams, Eastglen Blue Devils (0-2) and the Barons (1-2), before falling to the bigger Raiders in a hard-fought 62-51 decision.
